Familiarity
by Likhoradka
Summary: Destiel. AU. Dean finds out he's a witch, and Castiel is his familiar.
1. Chapter 1

AN: For biggreenbug on Tumblr, who prompted 'Third Man Phenomenon.' This got way, way out of control and went in an entirely different direction than what I had originally intended. Oops. I would like to continue this and build up Dean and Cas's relationship.

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

Dean pulled his coat tighter as a shiver ran down his spine. The feeling was back. As if he wasn't quite alone. He shook his head. Of course he wasn't alone. He was on a 'small research trip' with his brother. But, it felt like there was one more person.

He took a quick glance around the old room, just to be sure. Nothing. No one.

How did Sam manage to talk him into this? Sam was an archaeologist, but not the sort that specialized in old civilizations. No, Sam had to be into the occult. His baby brother actually believed in the nonsense that was the supernatural and sought out locations with a rich history pertaining to the occult. Sites of supposed devil worship, monuments to gods, monsters, and demons, and, of course, old Victorian houses that were once inhabited by wicked witches.

He wanted to say he was thoroughly creeped out, but he felt comfortable. Safe. He shouldn't be feeling this way about a creepy, old house. With every step he took, an ominous creak resounded. Cobwebs were everywhere. And he was certain there was a scraggly-looking cat wandering silently about the house.

He mentioned the cat to Sam, and Sam immediately burst into a happy tirade about how Dean was so lucky to have seen the witch's familiar. Dean insisted it was just a mangy old cat, but nothing he said could sway Sam's belief.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dean caught sight of the cat. He quickly turned to find a pair of bright blue eyes staring at him. In the fading light of the day, he couldn't tell if the cat was black or dark shade of brown. Dean stared at the cat. If he could catch it, he could bring it to Sam. Prove that it was just a cat. Just some stray that was living in the old house.

Dean stepped forward, and the cat stretched before turning and leaving.

'Wait! Here, kitty-kitty,' Dean called softly. He knelt down and offered his hand to the cat. He smiled as the cat looked at him in vague interest. 'Yeah, c'mon. I won't hurt ya'. Might even have some nice tuna or something out in the car.'

The cat tilted its head as it regarded the human. It turned and trotted out the room and down the hall.

'H-hey!' Dean followed the cat into the hall. He looked around, but couldn't find any trace of it. He scratched his head. All the other doors were closed. Where could it have got to? Was there a hole in the wall? A quick inspection proved there was no hole or crevice that a cat could fit through.

He crossed his arms and glared at the empty hall. He refused to believe Sam was right. He did _not_ just see a familiar or ghost cat or whatever it was supposed to be.

The feeling of someone else being right next to him was stronger than ever. He felt safe. It was annoying. His heart beat faster as he surreptitiously looked around. Just in case he wasn't alone, he didn't want to let the intruder know that he knew. He casually placed his hands behind his back, ready to whip out his gun. If Sam was behind him, then Sam would just tease him about being paranoid. It had happened on more than one occasion. He'd get jumpy and point his gun at any little sound.

He spun and pointed the handgun at nothing. He edged back into the room he had originally come from. It was empty. He let his arms fall to his sides. Now what?

'Better find Sammy,' he muttered to himself as the comforting feeling faded.

He heard a soft click come from the hallway. He turned and cautiously made his way to the hall. He looked around and noticed a crack in the wall. One of the panels appeared to have popped loose. Dean nudged it open further, and it swung out soundlessly. The panel opened to reveal a small passageway. He could make out a soft flickering light at the end of the passage.

So there _was_ someone there. Dean wasn't just paranoid, after all. Leading with his gun, Dean entered the small passage. He gasped as the panel shut behind him. He turned and pushed at it. It remained shut.

A sharp meow echoed behind him, and Dean looked to the flickering light. So _that's_ where the damn cat got to. He quietly made his way down the passage, finding a small room at the end.

Dean stared in awe. Old books lined every wall. Jars with faded labels sat on every available surface not infested with books. A quick glance told him no one was in the room. And it looked like no one had been in there for quite some time.

He sighed as he safetied his gun and tucked it into the back of his jeans. He frowned when a thought hit him. Where was the light coming from? There were no candles, no light bulbs. Just a low glow. Looking around in confusion, he found the source.

A book lay open on an old table. Dean approached the book, not quite believing his eyes. The pages were _glowing_. He reached out to touch it and quickly jumped back as the cat landed on top of the book.

'Shit! Fuck! Y-you fucking evil monster!' Dean shouted.

The cat stared at Dean. It got off the book and sat just behind it. It looked from Dean to the book and began purring.

Dean looked around. He had to be going crazy. If he didn't know better, he'd think the cat wanted him to read the book. He shook his head and shrugged. 'Sure. Why the fuck not?'

He walked up to the book and stared at it. As far as he could tell, it was written in Latin. He startled as the cat meowed loudly at him. 'What? Am I supposed to perform a spell or something?' He said jokingly as he reached out to pet the cat.

The cat leaned into Dean's touch and purred loudly. It meowed again as it pulled away from Dean's hand.

Dean rolled his eyes. Why was he doing this? He should be leaving and finding Sam. This was more Sam's speed. Finding weird, old books that glowed and reading from them. He had to be dreaming. He had to have fallen asleep while waiting for Sam.

Since he was dreaming, what harm could come from reading from an old book? As long as no Candarian demons popped up, then he'd be okay. And if they did, he'd kill his brother, chop off his hand, and shove a chainsaw on his wrist. Good plan.

He looked at the book again and ran his fingers across the words as he recited them. He frowned when nothing happened. 'Right… Well, this dreams sucks,' he said to the cat. He looked up to find the cat missing.

'You're not dreaming,' a deep voice said behind him.

Dean spun around and pointed his gun at the intruder. Before him stood a man. He looked like he had just walked out of one of the old paintings hanging around the house. He wore a dark frock coat and trousers, and his tie was undone. Dark hair. Blue eyes. The same color as the cat's. 'Who the fuck are you?!'

'My name is Castiel.'

Dean laughed as he ran a hand through his hair. 'What the fuck…?' He was going crazy.

'You're not crazy, Dean. You have a very special gift,' Castiel said.

'Gift?' Dean repeated.

Castiel nodded. He walked up to Dean and laid his hand on Dean's, making him lower the gun. 'You are a witch, and I am now your familiar.'

Dean blinked. 'Yep. Still dreaming,' he said.

'You're not—'

'Well, I'm gonna find Sam,' Dean said as he headed back into the passage.

'But the book!' Castiel looked from Dean's disappearing figure to the book on the table. He huffed in irritation and grabbed the book. He found Dean struggling with the secret panel. 'It obeys your command,' he said. 'Tell it to open.'

Dean threw a glare over his shoulder. 'Fine. Open says me.'

The panel popped open.

Dean stepped out into the hall. 'Sammy!' he shouted.

'Dean—'

Dean headed off to where he thought Sam should be. 'If you're supposed to be my familiar, then shouldn't you be calling me "master" or something?' he asked conversationally.

Castiel hugged the book tightly to his chest. 'That is not the relationship between witch and familiar,' he replied. 'We draw from each other's power. It's more like marriage than master and servant.'

Dean stopped in his tracks, and Castiel ran into his back. 'We're _married_?' He looked at Castiel from head to toe. For a dream that decided to take a turn toward a whole new level of weird, he could certainly do worse. 'So, my subconscious wants me to settle down with a guy,' he said, raising a brow.

'I'm neither male nor female.'

'Uh-huh… Well, once I blow off some steam with Sam, you 'n' me can make this dream a little more interesting,' Dean said as he began walking again. 'If you change into a chick halfway though, I won't complain.'

Castiel blushed. 'N-no… I only have two corporeal forms. This…this is the vessel that was offered up when I was summoned,' Castiel explained. 'Though some witches and familiars do…do that, I uh…don't think we're quite at that stage…just yet.'

Dean rounded a corner and found Sam packing up his bag. 'Sammy!'

Sam looked up, smiling at Dean. His smile faltered when he laid eyes on Castiel. 'Um…Dean, who's that?'

'Cas,' Dean said dismissively.

'Castiel,' the familiar corrected. 'I'm his familiar. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sam.'

Sam stared at Castiel then at Dean. 'W-what…?'

Dean placed his hands on Sam's shoulders. 'I'll never get a chance to say this when I'm awake,' he said, 'but, Sammy… Your profession sucks. Between creepy mausoleums and dumping grounds for human sacrifice, I think I've had it. But I'm still gonna follow you around and keep an eye on you. Because I'm a glutton for punishment.'

Sam stared at Dean. He reached up and pinched Dean. Hard.

'Ow! What'd ya' do _that_ for?!'

'Dean,' Sam hissed, 'you're _not_ dreaming!'

Dean stared at Sam in shock. He looked at Castiel, who smiled helpfully. 'But…' Everything went dark.

.-.-.-.-.

Dean opened his eyes and saw the familiar ceiling of the motel he and Sam were staying at. It was all a dream. A really fucked up dream.

'Dean! Are you all right?' Sam asked.

Dean sat up, scratching his head. 'Yeah… I had this weird dream…' He trailed off as he looked around the room and his gaze fell upon a certain dark haired man.

Castiel gave Dean a small smile. 'Good morning, Dean.'

Dean scrambled out of the bed. He became tangled in the sheets and fell to the floor. He pulled himself up and pointed accusingly at Castiel. 'Y-you! You're _real_?!'

Castiel nodded. 'Of course I'm real,' he replied in an offended tone. He was still protectively clutching the old book. 'But that doesn't matter, we need to ta—'

'You're real.'

'Yes. De—'

Dean shook his head. 'No. I just got Punk'd, right?'

Castiel frowned at the reference. He looked to Sam for help.

'No, Dean. This is really happening,' Sam said. 'Castiel explained, well, _enough_ to me.'

Dean recognized the frustrated look on Sam's face. It was the same look he got when he had trouble translating an old text. His so-called familiar was holding out on Sam. He looked to Castiel. 'Okay… Let's say I _do_ believe all this,' he said, waving his hand. 'Why me?'

Castiel straightened and smiled at Dean. 'You're special. It's in your blood.'

Dean sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Castiel. 'Uh-huh… What about Sammy? Is _he_ "special," too?'

Castiel looked uncertainly from Dean to Sam. 'Yes,' he eventually replied.

'Then why not him? Why _me_?'

Castiel bit his lip. 'For all his enthusiasm, we are not compatible. A witch's and familiar's magic _must_ be compatible.'

Dean glared at Castiel. 'Magic. _Magic_?' He shot Sam a doubtful look. 'I don't have magic. I'm not magic. I'm not a…a _witch_.'

'Actually, Dean…' Sam rubbed the back of his neck. 'You are kinda sensitive to the supernatural.'

'What.'

'I uh…' Sam let out a nervous laugh. 'Not all the places I dragged you to were haunted… I started testing you when I noticed how you got…jumpy at the places that were notorious for being haunted. I wanted to see if it was just the knowledge of what had happened, or if there was something else going on.'

Dean stared at Sam. 'I'm not talking to you anymore.'

'Dean—'

Dean held up his hand. 'No. Not talking.' He looked to Castiel. 'Are you a cat?'

Castiel's head hung slightly. 'She was dying from cold and hunger… I eased her way,' he quietly replied. He looked away. 'She was the closest thing I had to a friend after my last witch was…well…'

'She was lynched by the townspeople,' Sam supplied.

Castiel stared at the floor, nodding. 'I was unable to stop them.'

Dean sighed and looked away. 'Okay. I'm a witch. You're my familiar. So, now what? Do I have to go to witchy school or something?'

Castiel looked back up, a smile returning to his face. 'No. Nothing like that,' he said. He held out the book to Dean. 'You just need this. It's yours now.'

'What if I don't _wanna_ be a witch?' Dean challenged as he crossed his arms.

Castiel lowered the book and gave Dean a confused stare. 'You don't have a choice in the matter. You were born a witch.'

Dean grimaced and took a deep breath. 'Can we call it something else? Warlock? Wizard? Sorcerer? Anything besides _witch_?'

'I don't understand.'

'Witches are girls.'

'Witches are men _and_ women,' Castiel corrected.

'The term's changed a little over time,' Sam said helpfully. 'It's more specific to women now.'

'Oh.'

'Well, I'm not gonna be a witch or warlock or whatever,' Dean said as he stood.

'But you don't—'

Dean strode up to Castiel jabbed his finger at him. 'Just because I'm magic, don't mean I have to _do_ magic. Keep your damn book.'

Castiel fidgeted and bit his lip. 'I suppose…_that_ you have a choice in…'

Dean nodded, satisfied. 'Good. Now that _that's_ settled. No more talk about magic. You,' he pointed at Castiel, 'should go do whatever it is you guys do. Have fun with your life.'

Castiel looked up miserably at Dean. 'I can't.'

Dean let out a short laugh. 'Come again?'

'I'm your familiar. _You_ are my witch…er…warlock… Our energies are interwoven now,' Castiel explained. 'I _can't_ leave. I'm bound to you until you die.'

Dean ran his hands over his face, looking anywhere but at the two other men in the room. 'I can't…' He shook his head and stared at the floor. 'I just… I can't do this right now. This is too much.'

'I'm sorry,' Castiel apologized. He flinched as the door to the motel room slammed. He stared helplessly at Sam.

Sam smiled encouragingly at Castiel. 'It'll be okay. Let him blow off some steam. He'll come around eventually.'

Castiel nodded. He noticed how Sam was eying the book. He hugged it tightly to his chest and glared. 'This is not for you! Find your own!'

Sam sighed in disappointment. He perked up as a thought struck him. 'Do you happen to know where I can _find_ a familiar that'd match me?' he asked.

Castiel stared at the book in his arms. His brother _had_ been without a witch for quite some time now… But, could he live with seeing Sam doting on his own familiar while Dean wanted nothing to do with _him_? Could he live with himself if he denied his brother the chance of having a witch again?

'I…I have a brother,' he eventually said. 'But the decision will ultimately be his.'


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Made some minor edits to the previous chapter—what Cas was originally wearing and a little bit of the dialogue after they meet. The dialogue didn't sit well with me, and I figure Cas would have no clue as to current fashion. Thank you for reading! Gabriel will be in the next chapter.

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

Dean soon found himself wandering aimlessly around a nearby park. It was early morning, so aside from the occasional jogger, he had the park mostly to himself. He sat on a bench and stared at the ducks on the small lake in front of him. He sighed as he leaned back.

What was he going to do? Was he going to have to worry about controlling his so-called magic powers? What could he even do? Open a door. Big deal. And what of Castiel? If they really were stuck with him, then what? Sure, Sam had managed to get Dean onto the museum's payroll as his 'assistant,' so they were set financially. But, what about sleeping arrangements? Would Castiel just turn into a cat and curl up on the floor? How did that even work? Did he eat? How human was he?

And he had hit on Castiel earlier! He clenched his eyes shut. Why did he always think with his dick first? Why did Casitel have to look so good? It would be easier for everyone if Castiel would just leave.

He opened his eyes and frowned. A young woman stood at the edge of the lake, staring at Dean. She was drenched and very pale. Dean sat up straight. 'Hey! You okay?' he called out. He gasped when she vanished and reappeared next to him on the bench.

'You're very bright,' she said. 'Brighter than the other day.'

Dean's heart beat rapidly. He tried to lean away from the woman without calling attention to it. 'O-other day?'

She nodded. 'You and the other young man,' she replied. 'You tried to feed a duck, but it bit you.'

Dean remembered. 'Are you a…ghost?' he asked.

'I guess,' she said with a shrug.

Dean had always thought ghosts were supposed to be chain-rattling, vengeance-seeking monsters from beyond the grave. This was not what he had been expecting. Not that he had been expecting to be having a conversation with a ghost. What did you say to a ghost?

'If you don't mind my asking… What makes a ghost a ghost?'

The ghost frowned and looked away. 'Dying? I…don't really know,' she admitted. 'There are a few of us here. I was murdered by my boyfriend's ex-fiancé, but Jerry died in his sleep under a tree.'

'Lack of closure?' Dean offered. Why was he talking to a ghost?

The ghost smiled and shook her head. 'Mindy got what she deserved, and Aaron still visits me on my birthday. He's married and has two kids. I'm so happy for him.'

'That's nice.' Why was he talking to a ghost?! 'Uh… This has been…interesting. But uh…I should get back,' he said.

The woman sighed and turned her gaze to the lake. 'You're scared of me,' she said as she hung her head. 'It's okay. I understand. I would be, too.'

Dean waved his hands at her. 'I'm not scared of you,' he insisted. He continued when he received a doubtful look for the woman. 'Look, I've had a shitty day so far. I just found out I'm a fucking _witch_, and th—'

'A _witch_?' the ghost repeated. 'I may be dead, but I know there's no such thing as witches. Not in the fairy tale sense, and you don't strike me as the type to be into crystals.'

'Then how am I talking to you?' Dean retorted.

'You're a medium,' the ghost said, as if it were the most logical conclusion.

Dean bristled. If only it were that simple. But, no. He had a freaking familiar chilling out in his motel room. '_You're_ a _ghost_! How can you not believe in—Y'know what? Nevermind. Nice talkin' to ya', Casper.'

The ghost watched Dean get up and leave. She looked down as a duck approached her and walked through her leg. She decided she liked the other medium much better.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel sat alone in the motel room. Sam had gone out to get donuts, leaving him with instructions to not touch anything. He sighed heavily as he ran his fingers over the worn cover of the book in his lap. He desperately wished Dean was more accepting of the current situation. Of him. He looked up as the door opened and Dean entered the room.

Dean paused in the doorway as his eyes fell on Castiel. He stood tall and shut the door as he headed toward his bag. He busied himself with looking through the contents of his bag, trying to ignore Castiel's stare.

Castiel wanted to speak to Dean. Maybe reach some sort of agreement or truce. He at least wanted to be on Dean's good side before he broke the news of Sam's plan to him. He didn't think the older brother would appreciate Sam's sudden interest in hunting down a familiar.

'Why can I see ghosts?' Dean asked, making Castiel jump in surprise. He looked up when he received no answer. 'Well?'

'You were always aware of their presence,' Castiel replied. 'You're drawing power from me, so you're tapped into their plane of existence. I imagine…with proper training, you could would have been able to seen them on your own.'

Dean went back to rummaging in his bag. 'Does that mean I was medium?'

Castiel frowned. 'No. You are a witch.'

'So are mediums witches?'

Castiel shook his head. 'No. Well, some,' he replied. 'As I understand it, some witches are mistaken for mediums, and will be trained in the art of spirit talk. Um…' He trailed off as Dean lost interest.

Dean closed the bag and sat on the bed. What could he do? He didn't really want to talk to Castiel.

Castiel looked down. Dean was easier to read, more open, when he had thought he was dreaming, but now… Now, Castiel only caught bare fragments of thoughts. All of them negative. He remained silent as Dean turned on the television.

'What is that?' Castiel asked, then quickly regretted it. His eyes flicked quickly to Dean and caught the flash of annoyance.

'Crime drama,' Dean replied. He looked over at Castiel. If he was really stuck with the familiar, he definitely wanted him to be less conspicuous. 'We should get you some new clothes.'

Castiel glanced up. 'Is there something wrong with my attire?' he asked.

'Yeah, it's fucking outdated by over a hundred years.'

Castiel sighed and looked to images displayed on the television. After about fifteen minutes, he figured he had enough to go on for current fashion standards. His clothing morphed into a dark suit and tan overcoat. 'Is this better?' he asked.

Dean looked over and jumped. 'What the—?!' He looked Castiel over, head to toe. He certainly looked more normal. He raised a brow as Castiel pulled at the tie around his neck, setting it slightly askew. 'Yeah…that's fine,' he said as he directed his attention back to the television.

After a few minutes had passed, Sam returned with a box of donuts. Dean made a beeline for his brother, and Castiel remained seated, trying not to impose.

'Oh, you changed!' Sam commented. 'Did you guys go shopping or something?'

'I can change my clothing to suit my w—…my needs,' Castiel said softly.

Sam set the box on the small table and sat on the empty chair as Dean took a few donuts back to his spot on the bed. He moved the box a little closer to Castiel. 'Do you want one?'

Castiel shook his head, not looking up.

Sam frowned and looked at Dean for an answer.

Dean rolled his eyes, and shoved a donut in his mouth. Castiel was _not_ his problem.

Sam sighed and leaned back. 'I have a new place lined up for next week,' he said.

'Oh, yeah?'

'The Mysterious Mystery Spot.'

Dean looked over at Sam, his confusion showing. 'Since when do you do mystery spots? I thought those were all hoaxes and tourist traps.'

'Well, this one has a high number of unusual accidents associated with the site,' Sam replied. He coughed as he looked away. 'I was hoping you'd be able to do a quick read of the area…'

Dean's confusion turned into a dirty look. He should have seen this coming. 'And if I don't want to?'

Sam rolled his eyes and gave an annoyed huff. 'Then I'll go by myself. I just thought…well… I thought if there was something there worth looking into, then you'd be able to sense it or something.'

Dean looked back at the TV. 'Fine,' he eventually agreed. 'But if there's ghosts, I'm leaving.'

.-.-.-.-.

Dean glanced at the rearview mirror. Castiel was still sitting quietly, staring at his lap. It was a little disconcerting. Already, they had stopped to take a couple breaks. Both Dean and his brother had offered to get Castiel something to eat and drink, but Castiel had simply shook his head and wandered off. The first time it happened, Dean called out that they would be leaving in ten minutes. He had wondered if they were going to have to wait for Castiel. Part of him secretly hoped Castiel had just left. Another part was willing to wait however long it would take for Castiel to return. As it turned out, Castiel returned promptly after ten minutes had past.

Dean pulled up to a small roadside diner and parked the car. As he and Sam got out and stretched, he caught sight of Castiel heading off. 'Hey, Cas!'

Castiel stopped in his tracks and looked back at Dean.

'Don't you wanna come in? Eat something?' Dean asked.

Castiel shook his head. 'I don't…need it,' he replied. He didn't mention how he didn't want to make Dean any more uncomfortable than he already was.

Dean rolled his eyes as he turned toward the diner's entrance. 'Whatever,' he grumbled. 'Be back in an hour!'

Castiel watched the brothers leave and sighed to himself. In a blink of an eye, he was replaced by a small, black cat. He stretched and trotted toward the wooded area nearby. He had an hour. Maybe this time, he'd be able to catch something decent.

.-.-.-.-.

'I think you should at least _try_ to be nice to Castiel,' Sam said as he poked at his salad.

'I _am_ bein' nice,' Dean shot back. From his point of view, he had been nice. He could have been yelling at Castiel the whole time. Shouting about how he wished his life hadn't turned out like this. How he wished he'd never followed Sam into the old house. How he wished he'd never met Castiel. So, really, he was being _very_ nice.

Sam glared at Dean. 'I mean talk to him. Who knows, you might actually _like_ him.'

Dean scoffed and looked away. 'Fine. I'll talk to him.'

Sam raised his brows at Dean expectantly.

'What, _now_?'

'Why not? Look, all I'm saying is…he's not happy Dean. It's painfully obvious,' Sam pointed out. 'He's going out of his way to stay out of yours.'

Dean nodded in agreement. 'All right, all right… I'll go find him.' He stood and headed out of the diner. He looked around, wondering just where Castiel could have got to. If he was a witch's familiar, where would he go? He had no idea.

Well, he was magical, wasn't he? And Castiel was _his_ familiar, right? He should be able to sense him or something. He looked around, not coming up with anything. 'This sucks,' he mumbled to himself as walked over to his car. He leaned against it and closed his eyes. He breathed evenly and relaxed. And then he felt it. A very slight tug in his gut. His eyes flew open. He knew where to find Castiel.

Dean carefully picked his way through the woods. He thought he was getting closer, but he wasn't sure. He paused and looked around. He didn't see his familiar anywhere. He was about to give up when movement caught his eye. It was the cat. Dean narrowed his eyes as he drew closer. He gasped when the cat came fully into view. 'Cas?!'

Castiel stared up in shock. His muzzle was coated in the blood of the rabbit he had just killed, and his tail was puffed out. He crouched close to the ground and edged away from the disemboweled rabbit.

Dean stared at the rabbit. There was so much blood. Was this what Castiel was doing during their breaks? He looked from the rabbit to Castiel. In the full light of day, Dean could make out every notch in the cat's ears, every mat in the black fur, and the painful-looking angle near the tip of the tail. He thought back to what Castiel had said about the cat. Dean wondered if the cat was the only real contact Castiel had had since the witch had been killed.

Dean cleared his throat, and Castiel cringed. 'Uh…you, uh… You've got thirty minutes,' he said before turning and heading back to the diner.

Castiel's breath came rapidly. He could still feel Dean's disgust. He thought he was doing Dean a favor. He wasn't being a burden. He wasn't relying on the others to take care of him. Wasn't that the right thing to do?

He stared at the rabbit, his appetite long gone. He sighed and returned to his human form. At least some animal would be getting a free meal that day. He followed Dean's path back to the diner. He waited next to the car for Sam and Dean, staring at the gravel of the parking lot. He didn't look up as Sam and Dean approached.

'Here,' Dean said.

A paper sack and water bottle were shoved into Castiel's field of vision. He took the sack and water and gave Dean a questioning stare.

Dean shrugged as he unlocked the car. 'It's better than rabbit,' he said gruffly.

Castiel frowned and peeked in the bag. It was a sandwich. Why did Dean get him a sandwich? He jumped as Dean honked the horn.

'Are you comin', or what?'

Castiel nodded and quickly got into the back seat of the car.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I hope y'all are enjoying this one so far. …With as much angst as I tend to throw into things that were supposed to be light and happy. And short.

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

After dropping Castiel off at the motel, Sam and Dean headed to the mystery spot. Dean stared grimly at the neon sign as he pulled into the small, dirt lot. A brightly flashing sign hung above a small ticket booth, and an equally annoying flashing arrow pointed down a narrow path into the woods.

'Well?' Sam nudged Dean's arm as he looked around. 'Do you feel anything?'

Dean rolled his eyes and shut off the engine. 'I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling,' he replied in frustration. 'I don't even wanna _be_ here!'

Sam silently left the car and lead the way to the ticket booth. The booth was empty, so he rang the little bell on the counter. A voice drifted from down the little path that led to the Mysterious Mystery Spot.

'Yeah, okay, _great_! You figured out the phone. I'm _so_ proud of you,' a man said in clear irritation as he rounded the corner. He ran a hand through his blond hair as he mimed the person on the other end of his cell phone. He looked up in surprise at Sam and Dean. His eyes darted between the two, and his brows furrowed. 'Uh… Sorry, I gotta go. A couple _customers_ just showed up.' He hung up his phone and stared expectantly at the brothers.

Sam held his hand out. 'Hi, I'm Sam Winchester,' he said. 'Are you…Gabriel?'

Gabriel glanced at the proffered hand. He took it and gave a hardy shake as he grinned up at Sam. 'That'd be me,' he replied. 'Well, Sam, you sure are a lot hotter in person.'

Sam blushed and coughed as he took his hand back. 'Uh…thanks?'

'So, you guys want the grand tour?' Gabriel asked as he popped into the ticket booth and fished around in a filing cabinet.

'If you wouldn't mind.'

'Sure…' Gabriel pulled out a couple sheets of paper and slammed them on the counter. 'But first, you sign.'

'Sign what?' Dean asked. He felt off. That was the only way to describe it. There was…something…around. And he felt alone. He refused to believe Castiel had anything to do with his loneliness.

'Just a standard waiver,' Gabriel replied. 'And how are you paying? Am I gonna have to harass that museum of yours for money? I'll give you a discount if you pay in cash.'

Sam reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed over a pair of twenties.

Gabriel brows went up in surprise. 'I think you missed the point of a discount.'

'Well, I was hoping that Dean and I would be able to stick around and explore when there were no people around,' Sam said. He gave Gabriel shy smile. May as well use his good looks to get him what he wanted.

Gabriel looked from Sam to Dean, who was reading over the waiver. 'Tonight's not the best…wait! No, this is perfect!' he exclaimed. 'My brother's in town, and it's been a really long time since I last saw him. I'll show you guys around and close down early.'

'Oh. I was hoping to get a better look around,' Sam said with a sigh.

'See, that's the best part. I'll leave you the keys to gate. Just lock up when you leave.'

Dean looked up from the waiver. 'You're gonna trust us? Alone?'

'What's there to steal?' Gabriel asked, gesturing around him. 'I take the cash with me. And there's not really anything else of value. Only reason I lock up is to keep the damn teens out.'

Dean nodded and went back to reading over the waiver. He frowned. 'Maiming by broom?'

'You'd be surprised how often that happens,' Gabriel replied, shaking his head.

'Right. Whatever.' Dean signed the waivered and slid it back to Gabriel. 'This had better be worth it,' he grumbled to Sam.

Sam wasted no time in scribbling his signature. 'Don't worry. I had a very reliable source on this one.'

.-.-.-.-.

Sam sighed in relief when Gabriel left. The shorter man was very excitable and loved to recount all the mishaps and lawsuits his little tourist trap had survived. And he was very touchy-feely. Sam found it doubtful that so much lint could be found on any one person. On his back, his front, his hair, his _ass_. It didn't help that the little touches were turning him on.

But, he couldn't focus on that, nor the phone number that had been scribbled on a napkin and shoved into his back pocket. He had a familiar to track down. He wished he could just take Castiel off of Dean's hands.

'So, are you getting anything?' Sam asked.

Dean looked around a shrugged. 'I've been feelin' weird ever since we got here,' he replied. 'I dunno if it's ghosts or some fucked up mystical…divergence…thing.'

'Do you think you can find the source?'

Dean huffed a long suffering sigh. 'I'll try.'

For over an hour, they went in circles. Inside the small topsy-turvy hut, around the perimeter, back inside. And then Dean lost whatever he was sensing.

He shook his head and shrugged. 'I dunno, Sammy. I don't feel anything anymore. For all we know, it was leading us on a wild goose chase.'

Sam chewed his lip and looked around. 'How about we start at the entrance and work our way back?'

Dean groaned, but agreed.

.-.-.-.-.

They didn't find anything. There was no trace of the presence Dean had been feeling earlier that day. Dean had no idea as to why Sam was so disappointed about the whole thing. The drive back to the motel was spent in silence.

Dean frowned as he pulled into the motel's parking lot. He looked around carefully, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

'Dean? Something wrong?' Sam asked.

'I don't know,' Dean replied distractedly. He got out of the car and kept looking around in confusion as they got closer to their room. 'I think…something's here.'

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it when he heard shouting coming from their motel room. He looked from the door to Dean. He gave Dean an exasperated look when Dean pulled out his gun.

Dean quietly unlocked the door. He was actually surprised when there was no tell-tale click. Did _he_ keep the lock silent? Maybe being a witch wasn't so bad. He pushed the door open a crack so he and Sam could see what was going on.

Castiel sat on the foot of one of the beds. A figure passed over the crack, and Dean immediately recognized him as Gabriel.

'If he hates you so much, then why doesn't he just banish you?!' Gabriel shouted.

Castiel looked as he feet. 'He doesn't know it's an option,' he replied. 'I have not been very…forthcoming with information.'

Gabriel stalked to the other side of the room. 'So he doesn't know _anything_?'

Castiel shrugged. 'Everything is in the grimoire, but he wants nothing to do with it.'

'Grimoire? Grim—fuck! You have the book with you?!'

Castiel nodded. He waved his hand, and the book appeared in his lap.

Gabriel stared and began pacing again. 'Dammit, Cas. If anyone finds out… They'll come after you! Only _this_ time, they won't stop at threatening your witch!'

Castiel fidgeted with his hands. 'She…she knew the risk. She kept them away.'

'Yeah, and Dean doesn't. Fuck. He can't even sense a familiar standing right in front of him!' Gabriel tuned to Castiel, his arms wide. 'He can't defend himself! You're dragging that idiot into something he doesn't have a clue about, and he doesn't even care about you!'

'I can protect Dean _and_ the book,' Castiel argued.

Gabriel growled and grabbed at his hair. 'So what?! _You_ have power. _Dean_ has plenty of power. But, that doesn't mean anything when you don't work together.'

Castiel hugged the book to his chest and refused to look up at Gabriel.

Gabriel stopped in his pacing and turned to stare at Castiel. 'Is…is that why you did it? Why you brought them here? To get me to help you?! You could have just asked! You know I woulda said "yes"!'

Castiel violently shook his head. 'No! It was Sam. He wanted a familiar, and I thought…' Castiel stared up miserably at Gabriel. 'I thought you might actually want to be bonded to a witch again.'

Gabriel laughed and resumed his pacing. 'With _Sam_? Yeah, the guy's fuckin' hot, I'll give him that, but he has next to no power.'

'He's smart.'

Gabriel threw Castiel a glare. 'And we both know how that ends up. Dark witch waiting to happen,' he said. He took a calming breath and paused.

'Sam thirsts for knowledge,' Castiel said quietly. 'Not power.'

Gabriel didn't respond, just stared ahead.

Sam frowned and looked at Dean. He balked at the intense stare he was receiving from his brother.

They both jumped back as the door flew completely open. Dean pointed his gun straight at Gabriel, but glanced away as something small and black darted from atop the bed to behind the dresser.

'Is that true, Sammy?' Gabriel asked, ignoring Dean. 'Are you a nerdy witch?'

Sam stared in shock. 'I…I mean… I uh…'

Gabriel strode closer, maintaining eye contact with Sam. 'Would you be satisfied with just knowing things? Barely able to conjure a small flame for a candle, while your brother summons a terrifying storm and commands the very elements around him?'

Sam looked from Gabriel to Dean. Dean was no longer glaring at Gabriel, but at the dresser. 'Can he… Could he really do that?' Sam asked as he looked back at Gabriel.

At Gabriel's nod, Sam let out an excited laugh. But, it was short-lived. He reminded himself that Dean hated what he was. He sighed and looked away. He watched as Dean struggled with the dresser, trying to move it. 'It doesn't matter. I'd never get to see it,' he said. He waved his hand dismissively at Gabriel. 'Y'know what… Nevermind. I've lived my whole life without a familiar. I don't need one now. And…I don't wanna end up evil.'

'It's a good thing you're a looker, Sam,' Gabriel said.

Sam looked from Dean to Gabriel. 'Huh?'

'I'll do it. I'll be your familiar.'

Sam smiled uncertainly. 'Oh…um… So we're compatible?'

'Compatible?'

'Well, Cas said a witch and familiar had to be compatible.'

Gabriel laughed, causing Dean to look up. 'No, it doesn't quite work like that,' Gabriel replied.

'What?' Dean growled as he kicked at the dresser.

'Most familiars are _compatible_ with all witches,' Gabriel explained. 'Cas, however…his power's all over the place. He draws from light _and_ dark energies. Someone screwed up his initial summoning. Because of that, he needs a powerful witch to ground him. I draw from the light, so I can control my power on my own.'

'So, not only am I a fucking witch, but I have a broken familiar,' Dean said.

Gabriel glared at Dean. 'He's not broken,' he said threateningly. 'Be careful of what you say, little witch. You may be powerful, but you don't know anything about how to use your magic. I'd wipe the floor with your ass.'

Dean seethed silently. He suddenly wanted to learn this magic crap. If only to shut Gabriel's stupid mouth.

'So!' Gabriel turned back to Sam with wide smile. 'You still game?'

'Um… Y-yeah!' Sam quickly replied, ignoring Dean's scoff. 'So…what do I do? Do I chant some sort of spell or perform a ritual or something?'

Gabriel grimaced as he looked toward the ceiling. 'You've been watching too much TV. No, you just have to swear your power to me.'

'Wait, _I_ had to say some spell,' Dean said.

Gabriel gave Dean an amused look then shifted his gaze to the dresser. 'Sorry, Dean-o. It's the same for all familiars. Some prefer older languages and stuffy wording. _Some_ use the language barrier to trick innocent little witches.'

Dean stared at Gabriel. 'He tricked me.'

Gabriel nodded.

Dean looked at the dresser. He should have been able to move it, but it was stuck firmly in place. Castiel had tricked him, and was now _cheating_, using his power to remain hidden. It was the only explanation. He narrowed his eyes at the dresser. If Castiel could use magic to keep a dresser stuck, then he could use magic to unstick it.

'Castiel, we need to talk,' he growled. He swiped his hand from one side to the other and was more than a little surprised when the dresser actually moved. Dean stared down at the shocked cat. All eyes were on him.

'That was amazing!' Sam crowed. 'How did you do it?'

Dean snapped from his daze and quickly reached down to grab Castiel by the scruff of the neck. He gave Sam a confused look. 'I…I don't know. I just wanted it to move.'

'You overthink things,' Gabriel pointed out. He watched as Castiel struggled helplessly in Dean's grip. 'Wow, Cas. Way to fit the stereotype. Should I start calling you "Cattiel"?'

Castiel ceased his struggles and managed the best glare he could, given his position.

'Oh, God,' Gabriel muttered, mortified. 'I have to cuddle with him.'

'You can cuddle all you want later,' Dean said. He was beginning to feel better. Moving that dresser had been so satisfying. Maybe…maybe he could get used to this whole witch thing, after all. 'I need to have a word with Cas.'

Castiel resumed his struggles and quickly found himself being hugged so tightly, he couldn't move.

'But first…he needs a bath,' Dean said. There may have been a gleefully sadistic tone to his voice.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I give up on making this chapter longer. Italicized within quotes is telepathy or whatever. That, or Dean's finally gone crazy.

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

Dean set the scruffy, black cat in the center of the tub. He stared critically for a moment before pointing at Castiel. 'Stay!'

Castiel crouched down and looked up at Dean miserably.

Dean vanished through the door and soon returned with scissors. He locked the door as laughter erupted from the other room. 'And don't you dare scratch me,' Dean threatened as he knelt down and ran his free hand over Castiel's back.

It took everything Castiel had to not lean into the touch. He felt a tug on his fur, and he flattened his ears as the scissors began snipping away. He pressed his head into the floor of the tub as Dean clipped his way along the fur. His ear was taken between two fingers, and he cringed, expecting the worst.

'Jesus, Cas…,' Dean muttered. The cat looked tentatively up at him. 'Did you lose a fight with a lawn mower or something? Your ears are all torn up, and I'm finding scars under all these damn mats!'

Castiel looked away. His cat-friend had led a hard life, and she had been very territorial. He flinched as Dean pulled at another mat, getting ready to cut it away. _'Gently!'_

'Did you just say something?' Dean stared at the cat in shock. He could have sworn he had just heard Castiel's voice. Distant and echoey, but still close.

Castiel's head shot up, and he stared at Dean. Hesitantly, he reached out to Dean's mind. _'You can hear me?'_

Dean frowned at Castiel. 'Yeah…,' he replied. 'Fuck… Am I psychic?'

Castiel's tail twitched quickly as he stood. _'Of course not,'_ he replied. _'A witch and familiar share a close connection. It…it means you're more open to me. More…accepting…'_ He trailed off as he crouched back down and turned his ears back.

Dean sighed and he scratched at Castiel's head. 'Yeah, I guess. Look, I'm still pissed at you, but this whole…magic…thing… Well, I can see how it'd have its perks,' he admitted.

'_You mustn't abuse your power!'_ Castiel warned with a purr. _'I would prefer you to not be dark.'_

'I don't wanna be evil, either. So, uh…what, exactly, do I need to avoid?' Dean asked as he went back to clipping mats.

'_Dishonest acts, mostly. Creating false currency. You are permitted to create jewels and metals, but not for the sake of profit,'_ Castiel explained. _'Avoid love spells and potions…anything that would change the personality of another individual or would take away their freedom.'_

Dean nodded and paused in his grooming. 'Wait. So, like, "harm none and do as you will"?' he asked. 'That sorta thing?'

'_That is decent explanation, yes. Where did you get it from?' _Castiel allowed Dean to turn him over and start work on his belly.

Dean grimaced at the matted fur on Castiel's underside. It was much worse than the back. 'One of those new agey, metaphysical stores,' he replied. 'It's on all their shit.'

Castiel blinked slowly at Dean. 'A…shop for witches?' he asked. 'And non-magical persons may enter it?'

'It's…well…' Dean finished up Castiel's stomach and flipped him back over. 'I dunno… I woulda thought it was just people that _thought_ they were witches, but now…'

'_Do they sell proper supplies?'_

Dean pulled down the shower head and turned on the water. 'Crystals, pentagrams, incense, tarot cards… That sorta crap,' he replied. Once satisfied with the water temperature, he pointed the stream of water at Castiel.

Castiel cringed as the water hit him. Every instinct told him to get away, but he remained. _'No…those are tools that can be used to channel your power while you're learning,'_ he replied. He let out a pathetic meow. _'Dean, I don't like this!'_

Dean smirked as he grabbed the shampoo and squirted some on Castiel's back. 'Good.' He worked up a lather, careful to avoid Castiel's eyes. 'So, what are "proper supplies"?'

Castiel began pacing in the tub when Dean stopped scrubbing him. _'Plants grown in special areas, tools made of specific materials, parts of creatures…'_ He shivered and let out a distressed yowl as he was hit with water again. _'I-ingredients to potions. Things like that…'_

Dean was enjoying himself immensely. The only problem he was having was Castiel's thin form. 'We seriously need to fatten you up, Cas,' he said grabbed Castiel by the scruff of the neck and held him up to spray off more soap. 'Is your human form this skinny under all the clothes?'

Castiel tried not to struggle, but his limbs were outstretched, and his claws were splayed. _'Dean, this is uncomfortable.'_ He only got a grunt in response. _'When I was summoned, I received a healthy vessel, so no. I'm not malnourished.'_

Dean rinsed Castiel head to tail again, going as slow as possible. 'Uh-huh… So _can_ we fatten up your cat side? I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of witches out there that wish they had a mangy, black cat, but you could stand to gain a pound or two.'

Castiel leapt out of the tub the moment Dean turned off the water. He shook his paws out, but could still feel water between his toes.

'Don't you dare change back,' Dean said as he dried his hands off.

'_W-what?!'_

'You want me to forgive you for tricking me and lying to me?' Dean asked as he knelt down and ran a towel over the cat.

'_Yes,'_ he quickly replied. He struggled to get away from the towel, but Dean kept hold of him. _'Please, Dean, you're making it __**worse**__!'_

Dean laughed softly. He pulled the towel back and admired his handiwork. 'All right. Stay like that until you're completely dry.'

'_Like what?'_

'As a cat. And no cheating with magic.'

Castiel hung his head and curled his tail around himself.

Dean opened the door and stared expectantly at Castiel. 'Go on,' he said. 'Get out there.'

'_I'd rather not…'_

'Get out, or I'll carry you out.'

Castiel stared at the floor as he slowly left the bathroom, shaking his legs as he went. He shrank away as Gabriel's laughter rang out. He sat against the wall next to the bathroom door, avoiding everyone's gaze.

Sam had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He felt a little sorry for Castiel, but from the look on Dean's face, the two were getting along much better now.

'Oh, no, you don't,' Dean said as he bent down and scooped Castiel up. He placed his familiar on top of the dresser and grinned. 'You get to stay right there, where everyone can see you.' He turned to look at Sam. 'Where's your camera?'

Sam reached into his bag and tossed his small, digital camera to Dean. He sent Castiel an apologetic smile.

Castiel meowed in protest as Dean ruffled his fur. _'Dean, please!'_ he whined. He looked up and blinked curiously at the small object Dean held. A bright flash of light went off, and he was momentarily blinded. He blinked away the spots and turned his back on everyone.

Gabriel hurried up to his brother and began running his fingers through the wet fur. 'Lookit you!' he exclaimed and rubbed his face against Castiel, earning a hiss. 'You smell so pretty!' He quickly backed away as sharp claws swiped at his face. He looked to Dean. 'You might wanna clip his nails.'

Dean made himself comfortable on one of the beds. 'As long as he's not clawing at _me_, we're good,' Dean replied. He looked from Gabriel to Sam. 'So…_why_ did we have to come to this crap mystery spot?'

Sam ducked his head as he sat on the edge of the other bed. 'Sorry,' he mumbled. 'It's just… I wanted to know more, and you weren't willing to know _anything_!'

'That doesn't mean you had to _lie_,' Dean pointed out.

Sam sighed as he pushed his hair back. 'Would you have _listened_?' he asked. 'I mean, you've never been into the occult. You always groaned about checking out a new location… And you were so mean to Cas. Of course I didn't wanna say anything.'

Dean frowned as he looked away. His eyes fell onto Castiel, who was busy cleaning himself. 'Good crotch?'

Castiel looked up and stared at Dean before hissing and going back to cleaning himself.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: …And then it turned into a familiar history lesson. Sorry.

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

As always, Dean was the first to awaken. He stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the recent turn his life had taken. He was a witch. He could move things with his mind. He could see dead people. He had a stereotypical black cat for a familiar. A black cat that was currently pressed against his side.

Slowly, Dean sat up and looked down at the cat. Castiel was curled into a tight ball. His legs twitched, and he made small mewling noises. Dean looked over to the other bed and let out a small scoff. Sam was sound asleep under the covers, and Gabriel was curled against him atop the covers, an arm draped loosely around Sam. Dean reached down and lightly ran his hand over Castiel's uneven fur. The soft mewls were replaced by a purr that grew louder as Castiel woke up.

Castiel pushed himself against the hand stroking his fur. It had been so long since someone had touched him so gently. He yawned and looked up at the owner of the hand, half expecting to find his brother. He quickly flattened his ears and shrank away. '_Dean! I…I'm sorry_,' he said, looking away.

Dean frowned in confusion. 'Sorry? For what? What'd you do now?' he asked.

'_I…did not want to sleep alone again_,' he explained.

'Oh… Well…I guess it's all right,' Dean replied. 'Just uh…don't…y'know… Don't be human and naked when you do it.'

Castiel cocked his head to the side and blinked slowly. Now that Dean was more open to him, he had a little insight into Dean's mind. And Dean's thoughts contradicted what he way saying. Witches were supposed to be honest with their familiars. This was new. '_Is there a reason as to why?_' he asked.

Dean coughed and looked over his shoulder to make sure his brother and Gabriel were still asleep. 'Look, it uh… People might ask questions,' he said.

With Dean's attention elsewhere, Castiel returned to his human shape. 'What sort of questions?'

Dean felt the weight on the mattress shift with Castiel's transformation. He looked back at Castiel and found the familiar kneeling beside him, leaning in rather close. His eyes flicked down and he blushed at the state of Castiel's clothes. It looked like Castiel had slept in them. They were overly rumpled, his tie was looser than normal, his shirt was unbuttoned halfway, and his overcoat and jacket were slipping off a shoulder. His shoes were missing, too.

Dean swallowed and leaned back. He could feel his cheeks heating up. 'They might get the _wrong idea_.'

Castiel frowned. How would anyone get the wrong idea? A familiar usually slept close to their witch. It was for protection and comfort. It was practical. 'I don't understand,' he admitted.

'They might…they might think we're _together_.'

Castiel slowly shook his head. 'But we are.'

'What?!' Dean looked over his should again and found that his little outburst hadn't woken Sam. 'No, we're not!' he whispered harshly. Although, he wouldn't mind seeing how together he could be with Castiel.

'We are witch and familiar,' Castiel said as he sat up straight; his coat and jacket fell off his other shoulder. 'Of course we're together.'

Dean bit his lip. 'As in _fucking_, all right?!'

Castiel blushed lightly. 'Oh. Well…as I said before, it is not unheard of…'

Dean stared at Castiel with a dumbfounded expression. 'Are you… Wait. No! I am _not_ interested in you like that! I'm not interested in you at all!'

Castiel looked down, uncertain of what he should say. Should he point out that Dean was lying? He decided against it. Dean was slowly getting used to being a witch and all it entailed. Knowing that Castiel had access to his personal thoughts would probably ruin all of the progress Castiel had made with Dean.

'I see,' Castiel said.

'Um… So, uh… I'll just go get ready?' Dean said and quickly vacated the bed. He grabbed his bag on his way to the bathroom and locked himself inside, immediately starting up the shower.

Castiel let out a sigh and pulled his coat and jacket up. Dean was an annoying witch. He didn't act how a witch was supposed to act. He looked over to the other bed when he heard a soft sniggering. He narrowed his eyes at Gabriel as his brother softly stroked Sam's chest. 'Good morning, Gabriel,' he said, more loudly than was necessary.

Sam startled awake and groaned. He tried to reach up to push his hair out of his eyes, but found his arm trapped. He blinked and looked to see what was wrong. Gabriel grinned at him and patted his cheek softly.

'Morning, sleepy head,' Gabriel said and leaned closer.

Sam sat up quickly, forcing Gabriel aside. 'What…what are you doing?! Why are you in my bed?!'

Gabriel pouted at Sam. 'I'm your familiar, Sammy,' he replied. 'With a familiar comes certain…perks.' He moved so that he straddled Sam's legs and placed his arms around Sam's neck. 'And I'm _very_ perky in the morning.'

Sam shied away. 'Um, you don't have to uh… This isn't required, is it?' he asked.

'Yes,' Gabriel gleefully replied.

'No,' Castiel cut in. 'I explained it to Dean. _Some_ relationships progress to a more intimate status, but not all. Do not let Gabriel pressure you.'

Gabriel huffed as he scooted off of Sam. He stared dejectedly at his lap. 'I'm not pressuring him,' he quietly insisted.

Sam kept an eye on Gabriel as he got off the bed. 'Look, Gabriel, I'm flattered. Really. But…'

'You don't know me,' Gabriel finished. 'Yeah, yeah. You humans are so uptight.'

Sam sighed and shook his head. 'I'm not uptight,' he replied. 'I would just rather have sex with someone I haven't _just_ met.'

Gabriel looked up and gave Sam a leering smile. 'So…how's about we catch dinner and a movie? We can get to know each other then head back to my place and have some coffee. King sized mattress, silk sheets…_restraints_.'

'No, Gabriel. It doesn't…' Sam paused and stared at Gabriel. 'You have a place? Where?'

Gabriel let out an exasperated sigh, catching small fragments of Sam's thoughts. 'I have an apartment,' he replied. 'Just because Cas chose to live in some dilapidated sty, doesn't mean we all do.'

'It was well warded,' Castiel said defensively. He tugged at his coat, and tried to avoid eye contact with Sam and Gabriel. He blushed brightly as he caught a few of Dean's more intense thoughts. If Dean wanted to bed him, then he should just come out and say so. He really didn't understand his witch.

Gabriel slid off the bed and stretched, doing his best to make certain his shirt drifted high enough to give Sam a peek of his stomach. 'So, what are we up to today?' he asked, grinning when he caught Sam staring.

Sam quickly looked away. 'Well, _I_ need to write up a piece on the mystery spot. If you happen to have any information on the history of the place, that would be really helpful. Otherwise, I'll have to check with the library and city archives,' he said as he headed to his bag and began pulling out his laptop.

Gabriel pulled a face. 'That sounds really boring,' he said as he followed Sam. 'Shouldn't you be digging up artifacts and robbing graves?'

'No,' Sam replied. 'Most of what I do is write. Books, proposals, articles…' He smiled and handed Gabriel a book that he had pulled out of his bag. 'Most of it is backed by the museum, but the more, uh…out there stuff, I have to fund myself.'

'Sammy, this is…boring,' Gabriel said as he flipped through the book. He turned back to the cover and grimaced. It was a black and white photograph of an old fort. _Historic Forts of Texas_, read the title, Sam's name in a smaller font beneath it. He handed it to Castiel when he noticed his brother looking curiously over his shoulder. 'So, no digs?' he asked, letting his disappointment show.

'Oh, I do that, too,' Sam replied. He plugged in his laptop and sat down. 'But, right now… I'm kinda stuck with tourist traps.'

'Why?' Gabriel asked as he took the other seat at the small table. He rested his head on his hand and stared happily at the excited look in Sam's eyes.

'Well, I had to justify coming to the mystery spot to the museum,' Sam explained. 'I convinced them that setting up an exhibit on tourist traps would help bring in some visitors. We'll head out to Route 66 when we're done here.'

Gabriel nodded in understanding. 'When do you think we'll get to go on a dig?' he asked. 'Can we dress you up like Indy, and then you shout about everything belonging in a museum? Can I be Miriam?'

Sam gave Gabriel a blank stare. 'Uh… It'll be a while…maybe a year or so. At least. I have to get stuff together for this exhibit first; then I have to help set it up. I'm gonna try to get a book out before the opening. Probably have to give a few lectures, too, while it's running,' he replied. He leaned over and rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a notebook and pen and set them in front of Gabriel. 'You can help me by writing about your mystery spot. How it started, any gimmicks you used to get people to talk about it… Y'know… just anything interesting.'

Gabriel stared at the notebook and pen. 'Uh…wouldn't you rather learn magic or something? Y'know…just anything _interesting_.'

Sam smiled in response and shook his head. 'We've got plenty of time for that later,' he replied.

'Sam, this is very well written,' Castiel said, looking up from the book he held.

'Thanks,' Sam said, smiling proudly.

'It's a pity that some of your information is incorrect.'

Sam's smile slipped. 'W-what?'

'Well, Fort Saint Louis… Their misfortune was brought on by a curse,' Castiel replied as he flipped through the pages. 'La Salle insulted a young witch and his family before setting out. As I understand it, the curse was meant to affect only La Salle, but the witch had little control.'

'But…we have documents! Witness accounts! Nothing mentions a _curse_,' Sam pointed out.

Gabriel snorted in amusement. 'Best curse is when no one knows they're cursed,' he said. He then pointed at Sam and shook his finger threateningly. 'Don't try to curse anyone.'

'I wouldn't even know where to start!'

'Dark magic is hard to control,' Castiel added. 'Especially for an amateur, and for one with so little innate power.'

Sam turned his attention back to his laptop. 'Yeah, I get it,' he said, glaring at the screen.

Gabriel threw Castiel a glare before laying his hand over Sam's. 'He's not sayin' you're gonna turn dark,' he said. He smiled when Sam's eyes flicked up to meet his own. 'Cas wasn't exactly introduced to humanity on the best terms, so he doesn't have the best people skills.'

'Oh!' Sam's expression lit up, and he looked up at Castiel. 'About that, I wanted to ask how you two were summoned. Gabriel, you said Castiel's summoning was botched. How? What happened?'

Castiel gave his brother a sharp look. 'My summoning is not up for discussion,' he coldly replied. He set Sam's book on the table and crossed the room to sulk in the corner. He crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall, glaring at Sam and Gabriel.

'It's a touchy subject,' Gabriel said dismisively. 'But mine isn't!'

Sam shifted his gaze from Castiel to Gabriel. His curiosity was piqued. 'All right. So, how does one go about summoning a familiar?'

Gabriel grinned happily at Sam, then his expression turn to one of suspicion. 'You're not gonna go and summon a new familiar, are you? Not planning on getting rid of me, right?'

'No! I just want to know how you two came to be,' Sam replied. 'Did you exist beforehand? What, exactly, are you guys?'

'Well...it's hard to explain…' Gabriel chewed on his lip as he tried to figure out how to explain it. 'We're…uh…'

'We exist as souls not constrained by a physical body,' Castiel explained. He looked over when he heard the bathroom door open. He quickly looked away when he met Dean's eyes.

Gabriel gave Castiel an unamused look. 'Okay, so maybe it's not that hard to explain. Anyway, we need a vessel to properly exist on this plane. That's where witches come in. Because you guys are more in tune with other planes, you were able to communicate with us.

'I guess we used to answer questions, give visions…that sort of crap,' he said as he picked at his jeans. 'Somewhere along the line, we got it into our heads that we wanted to experience your world.'

'So, you gave humans a means to summon you,' Sam said.

Gabriel nodded. His eyes fell on Castiel, who was staring at the floor. 'Both sides came up with a solution… Started with circles, but we couldn't leave the circle.'

'That sucks,' Dean said as he sat on a bed. He was watching Castiel. He could tell his familiar was uncomfortable with the conversation. 'So, I'm guessing your uh…vessel acts as the circle, now?'

Castiel looked up, giving Dean an impressed look. 'Essentially, yes,' he said. 'The witch provides us will an empty vessel, and—'

'And we take it,' Gabriel quickly finished.

Sam narrowed his eyes. 'Just like that?' he asked. 'No sacrifice? There's more than enough literature to support major rituals requiring a sacrifice of blood.'

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. 'Um…the uh…vessel is willing,' he weakly replied.

'Is that what happened to you?' Dean asked Castiel. 'Your vessel wasn't willing?'

Castiel ducked his head. 'Not exactly,' he said quietly. 'The witch who summoned me did not have all the required materials for the summoning.'

Sam frowned, not taking his eyes from Gabriel. 'Your vessel _is_ the sacrifice.'

'They're willing,' Gabriel insisted. 'They volunteer! We wouldn't be able to take over if they said "no."'

'Willing… Take over… Are…are they still in there with you? Still _alive_?!' Sam asked, looking between Gabriel and Castiel.

'No, they're long gone,' Gabriel carefully replied. 'They sort of move on. Is…is this a problem?'

Sam stared silently. He hadn't really thought about it before. Hadn't thought about the human vessels that Gabriel and Castiel possessed. 'And…it was completely consensual?'

Gabriel eagerly nodded.

'So, that's what you meant when you said you eased the cat's way,' Dean said. 'How can a _cat_ give you permission for that?'

Castiel tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, trying to follow Dean's line of thought. 'Animal thought may be more abstract, but they are capable of communication.'

'So…you get your human vessel right off the bat,' Sam said, tapping his finger against his laptop in thought. 'Traditionally, familiars are portrayed as animals, and Cas is a cat…'

'Oh, I have twenty spares and counting,' Gabriel proudly declared. 'I make a very cute fox. Ever cuddle with a fox?'

'_Twenty_?!'

'Yeah, we sort of collect them. Right, Cas?'

Castiel pointedly ignored Gabriel.

Gabriel leaned back with a snort. 'He's just jealous of me.'

'I believe in being practical,' Castiel spat. 'I don't need to be a…a _horse_!'

'A horse?' Sam repeated, a slight smile forming on his lips.

Gabriel pointed at Sam accusingly. 'No! I know that pony ride look, and you're never gonna ride me!'

'Not in _that_ sense,' Dean added.

'Exactly,' Gabriel agreed.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: As always, thanks for reading!

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

With Gabriel's help, Sam had managed to finish a rough draft for his chapter on the mystery spot for his book. Unfortunately, he had to omit everything pertaining to how Gabriel would use his power to mess with people. When he brought up the subject of writing about witches and familiars, he had been expecting Gabriel and Castiel to shoot him down. He was surprised to find the pair of familiars completely neutral to idea.

'No one's stopping you,' Gabriel as he flipped through the latest edition of his favorite gossip rag. 'No rules against it.'

'But, why not?' Sam asked. He looked around the room, hoping that Castiel might have a more detailed explanation, but didn't see him. 'Where's Cas? Did he go with Dean?'

Gabriel closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. 'He's…oh! Under my chair!' He bent over and pulled a sleeping cat out. 'Cassy! Why aren't you with Dean?'

Castiel stretched as he woke up. He half-heartedly tried to twist out of Gabriel's hold and gave up with a sigh. Hanging limply in the air, he stared at his brother. He returned to his human form after Gabriel set him back down. He yawned as he scratched his head and stretched, popping his back.

'Well?' Gabriel prompted.

'He's still uncomfortable around me,' Castiel replied. 'I'm giving him time to adjust.'

Gabriel rolled his eyes. 'You should be spending time with him,' he pointed out. 'You guys need to bond.'

Castiel looked away and caught Sam's curious stare. He looked back at his brother and sighed. 'I have always let my witch choose how long it takes.'

Gabriel sagged in his seat. 'In other words, you haven't told him _anything_ about anything.'

'Is this something I need to know about?' Sam asked.

Gabriel shook his head. 'Nah, we're good, Sammy,' he replied. He stood and walked around the table to Sam. He leaned over, smiling. 'Our bond is forming quite nicely. The more time we spend together, the quicker it settles. But…I know a way to speed things up.' He leaned in a little further, his nose almost touching Sam's.

Sam leaned back quickly, blushing brightly. 'Uh…um… Okay. And that uh…won't taint the bond or anything?' he asked. His brows furrowed as he tried to recall either Castiel or Gabriel mentioning a bond or connection of any sort before. He came up empty. 'Just what is it, anyway?'

Gabriel's shoulders slumped as he recognized the look on Sam's face. He needed to find a new tactic. Stop bringing up new information. He straightened and moved back to his seat. 'Just what is says on the box. You might not be able to sense it yet, but we'll work on that later,' he replied. 'Pretty much, it gives me insight on your thoughts. Nothing specific just yet, so don't worry about that. It goes the other way, too.'

Sam laughed as he leaned back against his chair. 'Great. Should I worry?'

Grinning, Gabriel tapped the side of his head. 'Lotsa fun goin' on up here,' he replied.

Castiel turned his gaze to the door before crossing to the other side of the room.

Gabriel watched his brother with a frown then looked over as the door opened, revealing Dean carrying a few bags and a drink carrier.

Dean was beaming at the door. 'This is _awesome_!' he exclaimed as he entered the motel room. 'Sammy, I can open doors with _my mind_!' He set the bags and drinks on the table, smiling proudly at Sam.

Sam blinked up at Dean. 'Wow, that's…wow!'

'I know!'

'I should probably teach you some basic warding spells,' Castiel said. He cast his eyes downward when Dean looked his way. 'Just in case,' he added quietly.

Dean grimaced at Castiel. Sure, he was getting a kick out of having magic powers, but he really wasn't in the mood for any formal training. He did his time at school. And he definitely didn't want to have to deal with a lot of meditation. 'Yeah…sure. Whatever,' he replied.

Gabriel sighed as he shook his head. As much as he wanted to smack Dean upside the head, he knew Castiel would get on his case for interfering. He pulled one of the bags closer and peeked inside. He groaned at the sandwiches. 'Really, Dean-o? I didn't take you for a health nut,' he said as he pulled out a bag of chips. 'Sodium…free? What?! Who makes chips without salt?!'

'That would be _my_ food,' Sam said as he tugged the bag and chips away from Gabriel. 'I'm sure you'll be happy with Dean's taste in food.'

Dean turned back to the table and handed one of the other bags to Gabriel. 'Cheeseburgers,' he said, grabbing another bag and one of the drinks. He headed over to Castiel and held them out to the familiar. 'You like burgers, remember?' he said with a smirk.

Castiel blushed and refused to look up. After the incident at the roadside diner, their next food stop had been at a Wendy's. Dean had shoved a burger at Castiel, ordering him to eat. Castiel had already thought the sandwich from the diner was delicious, but the burger… The burger was divine. His previous witch had always cooked for him, loving how appreciative he was of food. When Castiel moaned after his first bite, Dean momentarily lost control of the car.

Castiel slowly reached out and took the bag and drink. 'Thank you,' he muttered.

.-.-.-.-.

Sam was going over his checklist. He had his map, the first few tourist traps plotted, everything had been washed, the college had given him his budget… He chewed at the end of his pen as he stared at his notebook. It looked like everything was in order. He looked over to find Gabriel slumped over the small table, softly snoring. He walked over and gently prodded Gabriel's shoulder.

'Hm, s'wha…?' Gabriel looked around, momentarily confused. When his eyes landed on Sam, he leaned back and smiled lazily. 'Mornin', tall, dark, and handsome.'

Sam rolled his eyes. 'Hey, did you need to get anything from your place?' he asked. 'Sorry, I didn't ask earlier. I was just really caught up.'

Gabriel yawned and stretched as he shook his head. 'Nah, I'm good. Didn't have much stuff anyway, and the popsicles won't keep.'

'Oh… Um…what about a lease? Your mystery spot? Don't you need to do any paperwork at all?' Sam sat across from Gabriel, frowning. 'Sign stuff over… Pull money out of the bank? Anything?'

Gabriel raised a brow at Sam. 'Really… I'm good. The mystery spot'll fade, and…well…my, er, landlord doesn't exactly know I'm staying there…' At Sam's questioning stare, he shrugged. 'I've got a lot of power, Sammy,' he explained. 'I've been staying at the local college. In the uh…main building's basement.' He grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

'What? But I thought… I thought you had an apartment or something.'

'I'm not human, Sam. Not really,' Gabriel replied. 'I just did the Mysterious Mystery Spot for fun. Rake in a little cash for some entertainment. I'm a familiar. I'm all about _experiencing_ this life. I don't need some swanky penthouse to do that.' He paused and looked out the motel window. He saw Castiel leaning against the Impala, watching Dean load up the trunk. 'It was a clean basement. I made it look real nice, but that'll all fade, too. I don't know how he could stand it…'

'Huh?' Sam followed Gabriel's gaze. 'You mean Cas? What about him?'

Gabriel sighed and looked back at Sam. 'Living in that old house. Doing…nothing. Living off vermin.' He tapped his fingers on the table. 'I'd visit him occasionally. Try to get him to come with me. But he insisted on staying there. Said he had to wait for the right witch to come.'

'He was waiting for _Dean_?'

'No… Well, maybe.' Gabriel looked back out at Castiel. 'Look, it's just…it's hard to explain.'

'He can see the future?' Sam asked uncertainly.

'Not even witches can see the future… Premonitions, yeah, but nothing solid,' Gabriel replied.

'Then how—'

'I don't _know_, all right?!' Gabriel bent his head and laced his fingers through his hair. 'No…I… It's not my place to tell.'

Sam reached forward and gently stroked Gabriel's hair. 'It's okay. I get it.'

Gabriel leaned into Sam's touch. When Sam made to pull away, Gabriel placed his hand on Sam's wrist. He stared at Sam for a few seconds before removing his hand. 'Thanks,' he said softly.

Sam nodded. He ruffled Gabriel's hair before standing and grabbing his duffel from beside the table.

.-.-.-.-.

Once Dean had loaded the last bit of luggage into the Impala's trunk, Castiel pushed off the car and slowly approached him. 'Dean…'

Dean closed the trunk and looked up to find Castiel staring at him with a very serious expression. 'Something wrong?'

'No,' Castiel quickly replied. 'I was wondering…when would be a good time for you to begin practicing your magic?'

Dean groaned as he leaned against his car. 'Do I _have_ to? Am I gonna have an accident or something if I don't?'

Castiel sighed and looked away in frustration. 'No,' he grudgingly admitted. 'But it would be for the best if you learned.'

Dean pushed off the car and slapped Castiel on the arm as he passed him. 'Then we'll worry about it when I find something I wanna learn,' he said with a cheery smile. 'That works, right?'

Castiel's shoulders slumped in defeat. 'I suppose…' At this rate, Dean was never going to learn how to use his power. He looked over as his brother and Sam emerged from the motel room. He felt a pang of jealousy and quickly looked away, busying himself with removing his overcoat and letting himself into the car.

After two hours on the road, Gabriel was getting antsy. 'God, Cas, how can you stand this?!' He fidgeted in his seat, loosening and tightening his seatbelt. He leaned over to Castiel and gave him a shake. 'I don't like this! You lied to me! You said it was _relaxing_.'

'It is,' Castiel replied. 'It's like flying.'

'I don't like flying!'

'You 'n' me, both,' Dean commented.

'We're moving fast, and we're not moving, and it's hot, and it feels weird,' Gabriel explained as he shifted his attention to Sam. He reached over the seat and scratched as Sam's shoulders. 'Can we stop? Just for a little while?' he begged. 'Five minutes, _please_?'

Sam looked over at Dean and gave him a slight shrug. 'It's not like we're on a time crunch.'

Dean let out a frustrated grunt. 'Fine. But _only_ five minutes.'

They pulled off at the first rest stop they came to, and Gabriel darted out of the car. He paced back and forth, wringing his hands together.

The others exited the car, and Sam made his way to Gabriel. Dean watched as his brother tried to calm the familiar. He exhaled slowly and turned his head to Castiel. His breath caught as Castiel removed his coat and leaned into the car to set it on top of his overcoat. Dean bit his lip as his eyes settled on the fabric stretched tight across Castiel's ass.

Castiel stiffened and his breathing increased. Despite the heat, he probably should have kept his coat on. He silently wished he could be as forward and open as Gabriel. To be unafraid of the potential consequences for calling Dean out on his attraction. He had never been with a witch that actively thought about him as a sexual partner. As much as Dean's thoughts were driving him crazy, he found he rather liked the feelings they gave him. Slowly, he pulled out of the car and stood straight. He glanced at Dean and offered a tentative smile. 'Is everything all right?'

Dean quickly looked away, trying to hide the blush that threatened to surface. 'Yeah. Everything's fine,' he said in a rush. 'So, uh… Flying, huh?'

Castiel shut the car door and leaned against it. 'Yes,' he replied. 'A Peregrine Falcon.'

'Hey, that's cool!' Dean said, grinning. 'Wait, is it…you…er… Well… Is bird-you a fucked up mess?'

'I'm sorry?'

'Y'know… Cat-you is all scratched up and starving, so…is bird-you the same way?' he asked.

Castiel looked away self-consciously. 'Oh. Um, no. He was poisoned, so…he was in very good condition,' he explained. He could feel Dean's thoughts dwelling on his vessels. He looked back at Dean, catching his eyes. 'My human vessel is the only one of my vessels that was not dying, and he willingly offered himself to me.'

Dean nodded and shifted his weight. 'Right. So…how many vessels do you have?' he asked.

Castiel smiled slightly. 'There's a spell where you can have me cycle through them,' he said. 'And other spells where you can call upon specific vessels… I am your familiar. You do not implicitly command me, but there are ways for you to be…persuasive.'

Dean's mouth went dry. He licked his lips and opened his mouth to speak, but before anything could come out, Sam was calling out.

'All right! We're ready!'

Dean tore his eyes away from Castiel and they landed on Sam, who was carrying what looked like a small dog. His eyes narrowed on the large ears and fluffy red tail tipped in white. The fluffy tail was missing a good section of fur. 'No,' he said.

'He'll stay on my lap,' Sam promised. 'He won't shed on anything, won't dig his claws into anything.'

The fox in Sam's arms gave a delighted yip and struggled to prop its head on Sam's shoulder.

'Sammy, you know the rules,' Dean said slowly. 'No dogs.'

'But, he's not a dog, he's a fox. And, technically, he's not that, either,' Sam pointed out.

'If you don't want to make frequent stops, then this would be the best option,' Castiel added. 'In times of discomfort, the closer we are to our witch, the better.'

Dean glared at the fox. 'Fine,' he relented. 'But you scratch my baby… Magic or no magic, I will make you pay.'


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Check it out! I have a bad guy!

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel bounded happily out of the car the moment the door opened. He ran up to the motel room door and back to car to yip anxiously at Sam. As Sam got out and stretched, Gabriel circled his feet and rubbed against his legs.

Sam knelt down and scratched behind Gabriel's ears as he laughed softly. 'Yes, we're here!' he said. 'No more car ride.' He stood quickly as Gabriel licked at his face. 'Okay, yeah, don't do that,' he said as he wiped his hand over his face.

Gabriel huffed and sulked back to the motel door to wait. He sat on his haunches and gave his best annoyed look when Castiel stood next to him. They watched as Sam and Dean unloaded the trunk.

'Why doesn't he change back?' Dean asked Sam in a quiet tone.

Sam shrugged as he pulled his laptop case out and set it next to his leg. 'Maybe they have trouble changing under stress?' he replied, not bothering to keep quiet.

Dean laughed as he stood. 'Performance anxiety? Is that it?' He grinned at the small growl coming from the fox. 'Trouble getting it up?'

'Getting what up?' Castiel asked, unable to get a clear meaning off of Dean. He probably should have made a better attempt at keeping up with modern colloquialisms. He quickly looked down as Dean's mind drifted to sexual imagery. 'Never mind.'

He looked up as a hand fell on his shoulder. Dean was smiling at him in amusement.

'It's just a phrase,' Dean explained. 'I'm sure Gabe'll tell you _all_ about it when he's able to perform.'

Gabriel barked and nipped at Dean's heels. He yelped as Sam picked him up. Twisting and kicking out, he attempted to nibble at the hands that held him.

'Careful, Sammy,' Dean said teasingly as he opened the door, 'I think he's a biter…and a screamer.'

Sam blushed lightly as Gabriel yipped and yowled in his arms. 'Shut up,' he said as he pushed his way past Dean and into the room. He tossed Gabriel onto the closest bed before carefully setting his laptop bag on the floor.

'Dean?'

Dean took in the serious look on Castiel's face and sighed. 'What is it?'

'I… I know you are not particularly fond of learning magic, but… I really do think you should learn some basic warding,' Castiel said. 'Protection from trespassers…burglars…'

'Solicitors?'

Castiel narrowed his eyes in confusion. 'You could easily alter a spell for that purpose, yes.'

Dean nodded and clapped Castiel on the shoulder. 'Well, we haven't had a problem yet, so I'm not too worried about it. Maybe later.'

Castiel watched helplessly as Dean entered the motel room. He sighed and turned his gaze away from the motel. It would be up to him to place protection spells. Again. He hoped his use of his own power wasn't attracting any unwanted attention, but he knew it was hopeless. Sooner or later, someone, somewhere, was going to notice.

'Ya' comin' in or what?!'

Castiel nodded distractedly. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, staring at his brother.

Gabriel was back to his human form and struggling to remove his shoes. Once he managed to free his second foot, he grimaced at the state of the shoe he held. 'Man, I need some new clothes…' He brightened as an idea struck him. 'Hey, Sammy! Wanna help me make a new outfit?'

'Can't you do it yourself?' Sam asked, looking between Gabriel and Castiel. 'Cas did it…'

Gabriel scoffed and rolled his eyes. 'Fine, if you don't wanna learn magic…'

'Oh! Yeah! Of course I do!' Sam said excitedly and came up to the bed. 'What do I do?'

'And _where_ is he going to get the power?' Castiel asked. He flinched at the heated look Dean shot him. He hadn't meant to be insulting.

Gabriel ignored Castiel and patted the spot next to him. 'Cas has a point. Since you have so little innate power, we just need to _make_ some. Charge the air. Get it ready.'

Sam sat down, frowning. 'So…I'm like an empty battery?'

'One that can't hold a charge. We have to…plug you in, as it were,' Gabriel replied, winking.

'Okay. How?'

Gabriel grinned widely. 'Sex magic!'

Sam blinked and leaned away. 'W-what?'

'Oh, c'mon. It'll be fun! Tell ya' what, we can have an orgy and make a whole new wardrobe!'

Castiel turned away slightly. He knew Dean wasn't looking at him—avoiding looking at him, actually—but he still didn't want Dean to see just how red his face was. He screwed his eyes shut as Dean's interest was piqued.

'Sex magic?' Dean asked incredulously.

'I-it is actually quite practical for a witch in Sam's situation,' Castiel carefully replied once he was certain he had complete control over his voice. He breathed calmly and, with a quick tap to his cheek, turned to face Dean. Using magic to cover a blush…he was finding himself at an all new low. No one had ever managed to make him feel so self-conscious before. 'You needn't worry about it. Unless…you feel like it would ease you into using your power?'

Dean groaned as he leaned his head back. 'Come off it already! I'll do magic when I'm good an' ready!'

Castiel gave an annoyed huff and crossed his arms.

Sam coughed uncomfortably. 'As fun as it sounds… Is there anything else? Something…easy?' he asked. 'Any beginner spells?'

Gabriel tossed his shoe across the room. 'I guess. Cas, what's a good beginner spell? Light a candle?'

Castiel stared at the floor in thought. 'No,' he eventually said. 'The spark required for the flame would need to be summoned. Nothing that requires creation or summoning… Levitation would be a good choice. Something easy to visualize.'

Gabriel looked around and caught sight of a note pad on the nightstand between the beds. He crawled across the bed and ripped off a piece. He crawled back to Sam's side and held up his hands, the piece of paper resting lightly on his palms.

He smiled encouragingly at Sam. 'Move it!'

'What? _How_?' Sam asked, bewildered. 'What am I supposed to do?'

Gabriel's smile faltered, and he looked to Castiel. 'You just…I dunno… You envision it moving?'

Castiel sighed and uncrossed his arms as he approached the pair, aware of Dean's eyes following him. He held his hand above Gabriel's and the paper slowly floated up and back down. 'You have to want it to move. There can be no doubt in your mind that it will resist,' he explained. 'Imagine what it would feel like to move it with your hand. The grain of the paper, the weight…then erase that. Leave only the thought and need of movement.'

Sam nodded and turned his attention to the paper. He stared determinedly at it for a few minutes then leaned back with a frustrated sigh. 'I can't… I'm doing something wrong.'

'It's okay,' Gabriel said, not moving his hands. 'Give it another go. You can do it.'

'You said yourself that I'd barely be able to light a candle,' Sam reminded. 'I just… I don't think I can.'

Castiel threw Gabriel a glare. 'You told him that?'

Gabriel shifted and shrugged uncomfortably. 'Well…I uh…' He looked away from Sam's confused stare. 'Sorry.'

'What? Sorry? About what?' Sam looked from Gabriel to Castiel.

'You are capable of doing anything a powerful witch can,' Castiel explained, 'but you lack the control and power to back it. You will have to draw your power from other sources. That's how a witch lacking in power goes dark. It starts small…using a rat's life to power a spell, but it can quickly escalate to human and spirit life.'

'Does it have to be a life?' Sam asked quietly.

'No,' Gabriel quickly insisted. 'Like I said, sex magic! Or uh…a storm, electricity… You could probably use batteries?'

'Sacrifice just happens to be more convenient,' Castiel added.

Sam looked up as Dean came up beside him. Dean held out a fist, and Sam lifted his hand, palm open. He blinked at the pair of AA batteries that dropped into his palm. He looked back up at Dean.

Dean shrugged. 'I dunno… It might help,' he said. He glanced at Castiel, and his breath caught at the soft smile he received. He quickly turned away, rubbing the back of his neck. 'I mean, it's not like you'd need a lot of juice to move a piece of paper, right?'

'And you can do better?' Gabriel scoffed. 'Yeah, you can move shit when you're pissed, but let's see you do it in a controlled setting.'

Dean eyed the paper in Gabriel's hands. 'Just…move it without touching it, right?' At Gabriel's nod, he leaned down and narrowed his eyes in concentration. He breathed in slowly and held his breath. A moment later he quickly breathed out, blowing the paper off Gabriel's hands. He straightened, grinning down at Sam and Gabriel's twin expressions of annoyance. He held his hands up and shrugged. Softs sounds were coming from beside him, and he looked over at Castiel.

Castiel had his hand over his mouth, covering his smile. He was trying desperately not to laugh. Dean might not be willing to learn magic, but he _was_ clever and practical. Maybe that was what he needed. Someone that _didn't_ rely on magic. But…not using it and not relying on it were two different things.

His stomach clenched as Dean's attraction hit him again. He coughed and quickly looked away. 'Um… That's…that's all very well and good, but uh…maybe, you could try using magic?' he said. And just like that, the attraction was gone, replaced by irritation.

Dean rolled his eyes and turned to the door. 'Right, later. Right now, I'm hungry,' he said. 'I'll be back with some grub in a few.'

Castiel sighed as the door opened and shut.

'Er…I don't think you should push the whole magic thing with Dean,' Sam said.

'It's kinda hard for us,' Gabriel said as he picked up the paper from where it had landed on the bed. 'We thrive on it. Having a witch for companionship is great, but if their magic isn't flowing through us, we… It's just not the same. We're not just on a physical level. We can feel…you. Everything about you. Your soul. Your magic. Not using your magic cuts us off from that part of you.'

Sam looked up to find Castiel staring dejectedly at the door. 'Oh. Sorry,' he said quietly.

Castiel shrugged and moved around to the other bed. In an instant, he was replaced by the small, black cat. He hopped onto the bed and settled onto one of the pillows and curled up.

Sam looked back at Gabriel then down at the batteries in his hand. 'So…you wanna give it another go?' He laughed softly at Gabriel's eager nod.

.-.-.-.-.

Dean frowned at the bag of mixed fruit he held. He had decided to stop at a supermarket rather than his normal choice of fast food joints. He needed to get out of the motel room. Get away from Castiel's persistent pestering. Away from Castiel's smile. And shopping at a supermarket gave him a better excuse for being out longer.

Dean was feeling confused and frustrated. Castiel made him feel that way. The man…familiar was certainly attractive enough. He was calm and wasn't too annoying. But…he wasn't human. His body wasn't even his. And then there were the animal vessels…

And it wasn't even like Castiel was interested in him. He only seemed like he was interested in getting Dean to use his magic. The familiar brushed off anything that hinted at intimacy. Sam had it easy. Gabriel was very forward on the matter. Sex magic actually sounded fun. More fun than levitating paper.

Dean grunted as he set the fruit bag into the cart. He felt weird. He probably just needed to get laid. It had been a while. He startled when another cart ran into his.

A pretty brunette smiled apologetically at Dean. 'Sorry,' she said. 'Wasn't watching where I was going.'

'Yeah… No problem,' Dean replied.

'Haven't seen _you_ in here before. New in town?'

'Huh? Oh, uh…no. Just passing through.'

'Pity,' the woman said, running her eyes over Dean. 'Where are you headed?'

Dean smiled, leaning over the handle of his cart. 'South. Road trip along America's greatest highway.'

The woman picked up an orange from one of the piles of fruit. She rolled it between her hands and batted her eyes at Dean. 'That sounds fun. My name's Ruby.'

'Dean.'

Ruby grinned and held her hand out. She winked at Dean as they shook hands. 'If you don't have anywhere to be…'

Dean's smile began to slip as an odd feeling crept up his spine. He…didn't like this girl. Something about her was off. He let go of her hand and coughed to cover up his discomfort. 'I uh… Thanks, but I gotta get back,' he said, looking over his shoulder. 'I've already taken too long.'

Ruby pouted at Dean. She moved closer and placed her hand on Dean's chest and stood on her toes. 'How about this? A souvenir to add to your collection,' she whispered and kissed Dean's cheek.

Dean did not like the smile she gave him as she pulled away. It was friendly enough, but the vibe he got… He quickly excused himself and hurried with the rest of his shopping.

Ruby waggled her fingers at Dean. Her eyes narrowed, and her grin turned malicious as Dean turned the corner. 'Give Castiel my love,' she said sweetly.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel's head shot up, and he stared at the door. It couldn't be. He had warded the motel room. There was no way she could have found him. Unsteadily, he got on his feet and backed to the edge of the bed. The door opened, and he arched his back, hissing and spitting.

'Cas? What the hell's wrong with you?' Dean asked as he entered the room. He set the bags down, looking from Castiel to Sam and Gabriel. He had a headache that had started just after leaving the store. He didn't want to have to deal with a rabid familiar. 'Did this just start?'

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Dean. 'Where did you go?' he asked. He leaned away as Dean came closer. 'How about you stay back?'

Dean stopped in his tracks, frowning. 'The hell is goin' on?!'

'You don't…feel like you,' Gabriel explained. He looked over as Castiel's hissing turned into a distressed yowl.

Castiel backed further away and fell off the edge of the bed. As Dean hurried to check on him, he backed against the wall and took his human form. He pressed back as much as he could and held his hand up, ready to shoot off a spell if needed.

Dean stopped short at the wild look in Castiel's eyes. 'Cas?'

'Get away from me!' Castiel screamed.

Both Sam and Gabriel had stood from their spot on the other bed and were cautiously approaching Castiel.

'What'd I do?' Dean asked, looking at Gabriel for an answer.

Gabriel shook his head. 'I don't know… I mean, you don't feel right, but he shouldn't be acting like this.'

'What do you mean?' Sam asked.

'Just…Dean doesn't feel like Dean.'

Dean attempted to get closer to Castiel only to have the frantic familiar edge away and into a corner. The air was thick and heavy with something. Dean finally placed the oppressive feeling and where it was coming from. Castiel was scared to death.

'Stay away from me! I don't need you! I don't need _any_ witch!'

Dean held his hands up in a placating gesture and stepped closer. 'Cas, it's _me_. It's Dean…'

'Leave me alone!' Castiel hissed. He ran his hands along the walls. His right hand found a dresser, and he felt along it, finding a lamp. He gripped it tightly and pulled it toward himself. He held it in front of himself and glared at Dean. When Dean was close enough, he took a swipe.

Dean gasped as Sam pulled him back by the collar. The bottom of the lamp flew across his vision, inches from his face.

'Dean—'

Dean growled as he shoved Sam's hand off. 'Dammit, Cas!' He strode forward and blocked the second swipe. He held Castiel's wrist tightly and almost felt sorry at for the panicked look he had caused.

Castiel shook his head rapidly. 'No,' he whispered. 'You can't do it. You can't dismiss his claim. It's not allowed!' He pulled at his wrist and clawed franticly at the hand that held it. He struggled, staring wide-eyed at the blonde smiling serenely at him.

'Do you think I care? I've done worse than dismiss a claim. And you helped,' she said.

Castiel cringed and renewed his struggles. 'No! You tricked me! It doesn't count! Ruby, _please_!'

'Oh, sweetie, you knew exactly what you were doing,' she said softly. 'Come back to me. You know you want to. You _want_ to feel a _proper_ witch's magic coursing through your veins.'

Castiel clenched his eyes shut. Tears ran down his cheeks as he cried out his denials and pleas. He gasped as a gentle hand rested on his cheek. Ruby had never been gentle. She had always grabbed, pushed, and demanded. He hesitantly looked up, and the image of Ruby flickered, giving way to Dean.

He stared at Dean as the traces of Ruby's magic lifted. He gave a shuddering breath, taking in Dean's concerned expression. Dean wiped a tear with his thumb, and Castiel let out a soft whimper. He clutched at Dean's hand, holding it against his cheek as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Dean's chest.

'Don't let her take me,' he begged. 'You can't! I saw you, and you came, and you just can't let her take me! I waited…I waited so long…'

Dean let go of Castiel's hand and rubbed the familiar's back soothingly. The moment Castiel had said Ruby's name, Dean made the connection. The off feeling he got from her, the headache he had driving back to the motel, and Castiel's freak out. It was a spell, it had to be. That bitch had placed a spell on him! Not only that, but from what Castiel had been screaming, Ruby wanted Castiel as her familiar.

She had touched his chest and kissed his cheek, and he could feel a lingering pressure in those spots. As Castiel had struggled, Dean wiped at the pressure on his cheek with his free hand and was relieved to find it no longer there. When he touched Castiel's cheek, the pressure on his chest lifted and his headache was gone.

Castiel gulped as he caught his breath. He took comfort in Dean's presence, but pulled away, not wanting to make Dean uncomfortable again. 'I-I'm all right,' he said unsteadily. He sucked in a breath as he was pulled back into the hug.

'No, you're not,' Dean said gruffly. He looked up to find Gabriel smiling approvingly down at him. 'So…what was that?' he asked.

Gabriel shrugged. 'Near as I can tell? Some sort of glamour spell, but it was just aimed at Cas,' he replied.

Castiel clung tightly to Dean. 'Ruby… What did she look like? She was young and blonde when last I saw her.'

'Uh, short, pretty…brunette?' Dean offered.

Castiel let out a bitter laugh. 'She's vain,' he said. 'Of course she'll be pretty.' He sighed as he shook his head and pressed it further into Dean's chest. 'No…she gets a new body about once every fifty years or so. It's a simple enough spell…transference of consciousness and essence.'

'What kinda spell is that?! Fucking _body swapping_?! Who the fuck came up with _that_?!' Dean looked down in confusion as Castiel cringed in his arms. 'Cas?'

'I-I came up with it…,' Castiel quietly admitted.

'So familiars create new spells?' Sam asked.

Gabriel shook his head. He eyed Castiel for a moment. When Castiel made no move to stop him, he continued. 'No, we can't do spellwork like witches. We can do magic, illusions, healing, but nothing like you guys can,' he said. 'Dark or light, we have a shit ton of power, but for anything controlled, we need a witch to ground us. I've been here long enough to learn to control my power without needing a witch. I'm based in light, so it was a lot easier to learn. I was…one of the first to be summoned. Cas has been here about half as long.

'You guys… You have the precision and control for spells. We're wild magic; you're ordered magic.'

Dean thinned his lips. 'So…you guys come up with the idea behind the spells?' He felt Castiel's fear kick up again.

'No… We'd be good if witches only did little spells,' Gabriel said. 'We don't need you guys to do anything difficult.'

'Then…'

'I…I'm different. My power is light _and_ dark,' Castiel said suddenly. 'I-it's my vessel. You know the summoning went wrong. It didn't…it didn't go_ wrong_… the wrong vessel was offered.'

Dean frowned as Castiel pulled away and huddled in the corner. 'What?'

'The witch who summoned me…he…' Castiel hugged himself as he avoided Dean's eyes. He had only ever told a handful of his witches about his summoning. It had never really come up, and, of the few that he had told, most had dismissed him immediately after. He flinched at the gentle hand that rested on his shoulder. He only felt concern and a willingness to help coming from Dean.

'James was supposed be my first witch, but…he offered himself as the vessel,' he whispered. 'He took _so…long_ to fade… Screaming, pleading… He thought _I'd_ be trapped within _him_, able to command my power…not the other way around.'

'He summoned you into himself?!' Dean asked. 'Why would he do that?'

Castiel shook his head miserably. 'He wanted to protect his family. They were being threatened by a dark witch, and he needed power. Protection. I did my best to appease him. He…he finally faded after his daughter had married and his wife had died.'

'I thought the vessel had to be willing,' Sam said.

'He was…at first.' Dean's hand hadn't left his shoulder, so Castiel hesitantly reached up and grasped Dean's hand in his. 'He found an old scroll on summoning familiars, but he mistranslated it. He didn't even know he was a witch.'

'So…what did he _think_ he was doing?' Sam asked.

'He thought he was summoning an angel,' Castiel replied. 'It's happened before…summoning a familiar into a witch's body. It happened with Lucifer and Michael…and that didn't end well… They're the reason witches are not permitted to offer themselves or other witches as vessels.'

'Wait,' Sam cut in, '_The_ Lucifer and Michael? As in Heaven and Hell?!'

'Where do you think all your stories of angels and demons come from?' Gabriel asked, a slight teasing tone to his voice. 'Those two never got on. Even back home.'

'So…then you're…'

Gabriel gave a slight bow. 'Archangel Gabriel, at your service! Just don't expect me to be blowin' any horns.'

Dean let out short laugh. 'Not unless they're attached to Sam, I bet,' he said, he smirked at Sam's groan. He felt no real amusement, but he definitely needed the mood to be lighter. He smiled gently as Castiel glanced up at him. 'You gonna be okay?'

'You don't hate me?'

Dean shook his head. 'Why would I hate you?'

'Because I didn't tell you… Because I lied… I don't actually _need_ a witch to ground me… I can ground myself,' Castiel said quietly.

Dean frowned at Castiel. 'Then why stick around?'

Castiel shrugged. 'I didn't want to go back,' he replied. 'The house you found me in…it's the only place I can be without being traced. If I'm not grounded by a witch, then I have to rely on my…my own witch's power, and that can be tracked.'

'You can't track a familiar's power. Whether we draw from the light or the dark, we all have the same…signature,' Gabriel explained. 'But every witch has a distinct power signature.'

Sam nodded in understanding. 'The whole ordered and wild magic thing, right?'

Gabriel gave a grin. 'Right!'

'Then that Ruby chick is tracking Cas,' Dean said. He placed his hand at the back of Castiel's neck and gave a gentle squeeze.

Castiel nodded. 'Every time I use my magic, I show up on her instruments… That's…that's why…'

'Why you were all about teaching me warding spells,' Dean finished.

'If _you_ can do it, _I_ don't have to. I never wanted to cause you any trouble,' Castiel said quietly. 'I…I thought I would have had more time to convince you.'

'Well, I'm convinced, now.'

Castiel shook his head. 'She'll be tracking _you_ as well… Only, _you_ don't have to use your magic for her to be able to find you.'

Dean's breath caught. 'I led her right here?!'

Castiel shrugged. 'She can't get in. I've warded the room against her and others. Just…don't invite anyone in.'

Dean looked up at Sam and Gabriel. 'So, what do we do?'

'Kill her?' Gabriel suggested.

'We can't just _kill_ someone!' Sam argued.

'Not with magic,' Gabriel admitted. 'You are forbidden from killing her with magic, Sammy. One-way ticket to the dark side.'

'What if…what if we stick you back in that house?' Dean asked. 'She can't get you there, right? We'll give it a year, let her see that you're not with us, then come back for you.'

Castiel shook his head. 'It's not just _me_ that she's after. She wants the book as well.'

'Book? What book?'

Castiel sighed in irritation as the old book materialized in his hands. 'This book. The grimoire. _My_ grimoire… Every witch has one, whether it's passed down or they write it themselves. The older ones hold their own power, like mine, but…mine is a familiar's grimoire. It shouldn't even exist. If Ruby had it, then…she would be unstoppable.'

'Then can we just get rid of it? Destroy it or something?' Sam asked.

'It's too late for that,' Castiel said quietly. 'It's indestructible… It's bound to my soul, so…at least no one can just take it.'

'Dammit, Cas,' Gabriel hissed under his breath.

Sam frowned at Gabriel. 'What? What's wrong?'

Gabriel grimaced as he turned away. 'He's bound to the book, and the book's bound to him…and Dean is wrapped up in-between. Why don't you tell me these things?!,' he said.

'I didn't want to worry you. I'm sorry,' Castiel mumbled, clutching the book close.

'Wait, so what's that mean for _me_?' Dean asked.

'Cas is your familiar, so the book's yours by default,' Gabriel explained, running a hand through his hair. 'If Ruby wants the book, she'll need Cas. And you…one way or another, she'll have to take _you_ out of the picture.' He turned to look down at Dean. 'And she's not the only one out there after Castiel.'

Dean ran his hands over his face and looked from Gabriel to Castiel, cowering in the corner. 'Shit… And you couldn't have said anything sooner?' he said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He never should have followed Sam into the old house.

The book vanished as Castiel hugged himself. He shuddered as he felt Dean's thoughts slip away from him. 'I can leave,' he offered. 'The bond will fade, or you…you can dismiss me. O-or ba…banish me. The latter would be best…'

'No one's banishing you, Cas!' Gabriel shouted. He stared pleadingly at Sam. 'If he gets banished, you have to banish me, too!'

'No one's banishing anyone,' Dean said gruffly as he stood. Here he was. A witch with a familiar. Even if he was angry with Castiel, he couldn't bring himself to hate him. If he had been stuck in some drafty, old house for over a century, he'd probably omit a few details, too, if it ensured his freedom. 'But you _are_ banished from the bed for the time being.'


	8. Chapter 8

AN: As always, I know where I'm headed, but the path is a little obscured. So please excuse plot holes that I don't manage to catch. Thanks for reading and for your patience!

.-.-.-.-.  
Familiarity  
.-.-.-.-.

The feeling inside the Impala was tense. Dean was thankful that Gabriel was behaving, silently curled up on Sam's lap. But he didn't know what to make of Castiel. Every time he checked the rearview mirror, he had to remind himself that his familiar was curled up on the floor behind his seat.

He sighed as he pulled up to a roadside diner and looked over at Sam. Everything seemed so much easier for his brother. Studying, good grades, following his dreams and passions, getting his dream job, just…everything. And what did Dean have? A G.E.D., an old car, and _maybe_ $300 in savings. At least his car ran well.

He frowned to himself as he shut off the engine. For a 1967 Chevy Impala, his car ran suspiciously well. He was a decent self-proclaimed mechanic, but he'd had very few problems with the car. Amazing gas mileage, too. 'Shit,' he muttered as he opened the door.

'What's wrong?' Sam asked as he got out, pushing Gabriel off his lap. Gabriel tumbled to the ground and yawned loudly as he turned human, sitting cross-legged in the dirt.

'I think I've been using magic to keep my car running,' Dean replied as he stretched.

'And green lights,' Sam added. He smiled at the confused look Dean gave him. 'You _never_ get stuck at a red light.'

Dean groaned as he opened the door to the backseat and stared down at the sleeping cat. 'Hey, wake up,' he said, nudging at Castiel.

Castiel uncurled and stretched out his legs. He blinked up at Dean and sat up, waiting patiently for Dean to continue speaking.

'We're gettin' lunch here, and I don't think they allow pets.'

Castiel hopped out of the car and took his human form. He met Dean's gaze for a while then looked away. 'You don't need to go out of your way for me,' he said softly.

Dean rolled his eyes and put his hand on Castiel's shoulder, forcing him to turn towards the diner. 'No, Cas. You're getting fed. I'm mad at you, but I won't have you starving. Or living off mice,' he said before Castiel could argue.

Castiel nodded and allowed himself to be guided to the diner.

.-.-.-.-.

'I hate motels,' Gabriel said grumpily as he entered the room, looking around in distaste. 'I mean, who decorated this place?!' He stumbled as Dean pushed him out of the way.

'We're just stayin' the night,' Dean said, tossing his bags onto a bed. He frowned as Castiel jumped onto the bed and began circling a pillow. 'And what do you think _you're_ doing?'

Castiel stopped and looked up at Dean. He cocked his head to the side as he sat on the pillow, wrapping his tail around him. His fur bristled when Dean pointed at the floor and snapped. He huffed and hopped off the bed. When Dean's back was turned, he quickly transformed and grabbed the pillow off the bed, hugging it tightly to his chest when he caught Sam's eye.

Sam shook his head in amusement and headed to a small desk that was placed next to the television. When he looked back at Castiel, the familiar was missing.

'All right, you mangy beast, let's learn some magic,' Dean said, locking the door. He turned around to find Sam and Gabriel staring at him. 'What?'

'No! This is good!' Sam said, Gabriel nodding.

Dean pulled a face and scanned the room. 'Good. Right. I'm doing this for you, Sammy.'

'What? Why?'

Dean quickly glanced back at Sam as he crossed the room. 'I won't let Ruby win. And if I gotta learn magic to protect us, then…fine. I'll learn it.' He sighed as he looked behind the TV. 'Cas?'

'Mreow?'

Kneeling on the floor, Dean looked under the bed to find Castiel curled atop a pillow directly in the center. 'You… Nevermind,' he said. 'You can keep the stupid pillow. C'mon. You better start teaching me magic.'

Castiel flattened his ears and cautiously crawled out from under the bed. He wrapped his tail tightly about him as he came to a stop in front of Dean.

One moment, there was a cat, the next, Dean had to lean back due to Castiel's proximity. 'So where so we start?' he asked, crossing his arms. 'Floating paper or something?'

Castiel stepped back and held out his hands. The old grimoire appeared and he tilted his head.

'Castiel,' Gabriel started, but closed his mouth at the stern look his brother gave him.

'Levitate _this_,' Castiel said.

Dean stared at the book. 'Uh… Shouldn't I start with something lighter?'

'The weight doesn't matter,' Castiel explained. 'A feather would require the same magical energy as a boulder.'

'Uh-huh…' Dean chewed on his bottom lip. It was all about visualizing and wanting, right? Well, he had a pretty good imagination. And he wanted desperately to keep Sam safe. In order to keep Sam safe, he would need to learn to lift the book with his mind. He took a slow breath and uncrossed his arms. He tried to imagine picking up the book. How much it weighed. The texture of worn leather cover. The metal clasps on the edge.

He could feel…something. It felt like his fingers were asleep, light, itching tingles running along them. He could have sworn that beneath the sensation, he could feel the leather of the book. He reminded himself of Castiel's original description of practicing magic: remove that feeling. So, he moved past the feeling of the cover and tried to focus on the act and want of lifting the book. He felt the dry surface of the pages brush along his fingertips.

The grimoire flew open, its pages flipping wildly from one side to the other.

Dean jumped back a step. 'Woah! Wait! S-stop!' he shouted, and the book stilled, a page sticking upright, poised to fall. He let out a shaky sigh and glanced up at Castiel, who was smiling broadly at him, his cheeks lightly tinged in pink.

'That was amazing,' Castiel breathed. With that one small spell, he could feel Dean's magic running through him, and it was wonderful. He knew it from the moment he first saw Dean, but to actually see the demonstration? After so many years of waiting, he finally found the witch from his premonitions. A witch that complimented his own soul.

'What are you talking about? I didn't do it right!' Dean argued.

'That doesn't matter!' Castiel replied. 'You—'

'You _shouldn't_ have been able to do that!' Gabriel interrupted.

'What?' Dean asked, confused.

'No, it's—'

Gabriel pointed at Castiel, cutting him off again as he stood and advanced on his brother. 'Shut up! You're fucked up for even _pulling_ that kinda stunt!'

'_What_ kind of stunt?' Dean asked, his voice even and cold. He threw Castiel a glare, and Castiel shrank back. 'I wanna hear it from _him_,' he said, nodding to Gabriel.

Castiel closed the book and hugged it tightly, looking away. He nodded and backed into a corner.

'Grimoires,' Gabriel said, 'especially Cas's, aren't susceptible to magic. That's why Ruby can't just magic it away. Add on top the fact that he's bound it to his soul, and it's one big cluster fuck.'

Dean turned to Castiel. He took in the dejected posture of the familiar and wondered just why Castiel would try and pull something like that. Castiel had looked so happy when Dean actually managed to manipulate the book, but…he had to have known that it was supposed to be impossible. Was Dean more powerful than Castiel had originally thought? Was he just there to protect Castiel from Ruby? He knew that wasn't right. Part of him just knew it.

But there _was_ a reason for Castiel testing him. Or was it even a test? Was it intended to knock him down a peg? He didn't think Castiel would do something like that, but that little part that spoke to him told him that Castiel was very capable of behaving in such a way.

'Okay, fine,' Dean said after a moment of silence. 'And what's _your_ side?'

Castiel glanced up at Dean. He looked around the room, finding all sets of eyes on him, waiting. 'I-I… I knew you'd be able to… But I couldn't say anything. If you knew that you weren't _supposed_ to be able to move it, then…you wouldn't have been able to. You would have blocked yourself from doing so,' he quietly replied. 'I wanted you to see that you could do it before you limited your own ability.'

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away. 'Okay, fine. I get that. But _why_ even have me do it?'

Castiel fingered the corner of the book. 'Because I saw you…'

'You said that before,' Sam said. 'What do you mean? Like, saw the future? I thought no one could do that?'

'The future isn't set,' Castiel explained, slowly gaining back his confidence. Dean was no longer glaring at him, and his brother only looked slightly annoyed with him. 'So, no. No one can actually _see_ the future. Not entirely. It's always shifting and changing, but premonitions and shadows are readily available. I've seen futures where I'm by Ruby's side. I've seen myself alone and locked away in that house. I've seen… I saw myself by Dean's side. Happy.'

Castiel quickly glanced away from Dean, a light blush on his cheeks. 'All futures are possible, but impossible. When I…when I saw you in the house…' He looked back up at Dean and gave him a small smile. 'I knew which future I wanted.'

Dean looked away and scratched at the back of his neck. 'Okay, ah…' He let his eyes drift back to Castiel, who was still staring at him. 'Look, I…' He trailed off, not really sure what to say. He was flattered that Castiel had chosen a future with him, but it was a little creepy. Besides, he was still mad at Castiel. With that thought, he remembered why he was mad.

'I guess you need to show me how to ward this place,' he eventually said.

Castiel nodded eagerly. 'Of course!' He held the book out to Dean. 'A simple spell to dissuade ill-intent should be enough to start with,' he said.

Dean carefully took the book from Castiel and opened it. 'Er…that's all well and good, but uh…' He flipped through a few pages, shaking his head.

'What's wrong?' Sam asked, coming up from behind Dean. He looked over Dean's shoulder and thinned his lips at the scrawling lines that littered the pages. Dean would pause occasionally on pages with drawings of ornate sigils and monstrous beings. 'Uh…nevermind.'

Gabriel sniggered as he plopped into a chair. 'C'mon, Dean-o. Don't tell me you can't read your own grimoire,' he teased.

Dean threw Gabriel a dirty look before turned his attention back to the book. Unlike the last time he had seen the pages, he couldn't make out one word of it. It wasn't written in a language that he had ever seen. 'I give up,' he said, closing the book. He tried to hand it back to Castiel, but the familiar pushed it back into his hands. 'Cas…'

'No,' Castiel insisted. 'It's yours now. I can protect it for you when it's not in use, but right now, you need it. I've organized it quite well. You simply need to know what you want.'

Dean sighed and rolled his eyes. 'I liked magic better when it just happened… All right, uh…' He stared at the book's cover. Maybe it would be like the door in the house or the door when he had his hands full. He just had to tell it to open. 'Hey, Grimmy,' he said, ignoring Gabriel's laughter and Castiel's offended stare, 'I need an easy spell for keeping evil witches out…uh… In English?'

He felt a pulse of power run over his hands and barely managed to keep hold of the book. Cautiously, he opened it to a random page and stared at the result.

_Warding Against Uninvited Guests  
Ingredients: small bowl of blood, candles, feathers, paper, ink_

'Uh…thanks…' The pages of the book glowed lightly. 'Shit. Is this thing alive?'

'In a way… It's bound to me, so…it's an extension of my soul,' Castiel replied.

'Which is why we can't just toss it in the fire,' Gabriel added.

'To damage the book, you'd be hurting _me_ as well.'

'Right. Okay, so uh… Where do I get a bowl of blood?' Dean asked as his eyes ran over Castiel.

'You'll just be writing inscriptions on the door and windows with this spell,' Castiel explained, 'so a simple cut across your palm will do. Or Sam's. If he feels so inclined.'

'I don't think the motel would like us writing on the door…in blood,' Sam said uneasily.

'That's what the other ingredients and actual spell are for,' Castiel said.

'And where am I supposed to get feathers from?' Dean asked. He looked over the instructions, and it seemed easy enough. Write on the wall, wrap a feather in a written spell, ignite, recite, then let the smoke cover the spell on the wall.

Castiel crossed the room and unlocked the door. 'You begin the spell, and I'll get you the feathers,' he said.

'Wait, uh…what about uh…bird-you?' Dean asked.

Castiel frowned in confusion. 'You can't use parts of a familiar in any spellwork. The ingredients would be tainted. I won't kill anything,' he promised before leaving the room.

Dean sighed and looked up at Sam. 'Wanna help?'

Sam looked to Gabriel for approval and received a shrugging nod. He smiled at Dean, and the two set to work on setting up the warding.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel eyed a pigeon from his perch in a nearby tree. His thoughts kept drifting back to Dean. Back to Dean's magic flowing through him. It had felt so wonderful. But it was only a fraction of what Dean was capable of. And what would it feel like if Dean hadn't shut him out? He should probably speak with Dean on the matter of their connection.

Castiel swooped out of the tree and gently caught the pigeon in his talons. He collected three feathers before taking off, leaving the panicked bird behind. As he circled the roof of the motel, he wondered how he should break it to Dean. He would be risking more inadvertent punishment if he told Dean. Or worse, Dean would knowingly keep the link they shared closed.

He landed on the gutter. If he didn't tell Dean soon, then Dean would be even angrier at him for keeping it to himself for so long. He hopped off the roof, changing halfway down. He landed heavily on the pavement and turned to find the motel room door open with Dean staring at him. He silently held out the feathers to his witch. 'After this,' he said hesitantly, 'I would like to speak with you about how your magic affects me.'

'Uh, sure,' Dean replied as he took the feathers and stepped aside, letting Castiel in. 'Sam said it gets you guys off or something?'

Castiel's face scrunched in confusion. He looked to Sam and Gabriel. Sam was grimacing at his laptop, avoiding looking up, and Gabriel was sniggering, trying not to look at Castiel. He came to the conclusion that Dean had to be talking about something sexual in nature for such a reaction. 'Only if you wish it to,' he easily replied, earning a strangled laugh from Gabriel.

Dean faltered as he walked past Castiel. 'Uh…are we talking about the same thing?' he asked.

'You're a powerful witch, Dean,' Castiel said. 'Your magic can command so much power, and I have a lot of power. It is an enjoyable feeling when your magic travels through me.'

'Uh…' Dean swallowed at the intense stare he was receiving. There was a light blush on Castiel's cheeks, and Dean could feel his own face heating up at the implications. 'I uh… I should finish this spell,' he said, waving the feathers back and forth.

Castiel smiled and crossed the room. He leaned against the wall and motioned for Dean to go ahead. 'I'll be here if you have any questions.'

'Or if you fuck up and summon a monster,' Gabriel added.

Dean rolled his eyes as he began wrapping the individual feathers in the spelled strips of paper. 'Right. Whatever.'

'Don't worry,' Castiel said soothingly. 'I can handle anything you may inadvertently summon.'

Dean paused in what he was doing and looked at Castiel. He couldn't tell if the smile he was receiving was teasing or reassuring.

As Dean lit the first feather, he could feel a numbness travel him. It ran along his spine and down the length of his arm and into the feather. He tried to ignore the feeling as he recited the spell from the book. Fortunately, Gabriel had helped him earlier with the pronunciation. After he completed burning the third feather, Dean fell forward. He barely managed to catch himself on the towel rack in the bathroom.

He was in a daze as he felt someone help him into the main room and onto the bed. 'Wha…'

'What happened?' Sam asked.

'I'm sorry!' Castiel said as he paced back and forth behind Sam. 'I didn't think this would happen!'

Dean's eyes focused on Castiel. 'Didn't think _what_ would happen?' he mumbled.

'It's not his fault,' Gabriel said wearily. '_I_ didn't think you'd have any problems, either. You've been using your magic on your own with no problem… Maybe…' He looked between Dean and Castiel. 'Wait, did he cut you off?'

Castiel reluctantly nodded, causing Gabriel to slap Dean upside the head. 'You idiot!'

'Ow! What?!' Dean shouted as he glared up at Gabriel.

'You can't go cutting off your familiar! You ground him as much as he grounds you. You just used all of your own power on a basic spell!' Gabriel huffed as he turned away, placing his hands on his hips.

'What are you talking about?' Dean asked. He leaned back on his elbows and let his head fall to his shoulder. He was having trouble staying awake.

'It's what I wanted to discuss earlier,' Castiel said quietly. 'Remember when you could hear me in my other form? Our connection was steadily building, allowing for such communication. But…then Ruby happened. You're…punishing me.'

'Yeah,' Dean slurred. 'By not letting you sleep on the bed.'

Castiel shook his head. 'I don't believe that you're even aware that you're doing it.'

Dean shook his head, attempting to stay awake. 'So…whatever I'm doing…if I turn it off, this'll stop?'

'You'll need to rest either way, but for future spell casting…it would be to your benefit to reestablish the connection,' Castiel explained.

Dean stared at Castiel. He just couldn't focus on what the familiar was saying. 'Connect what? Huh?'

Castiel bit his lip and shrugged at Sam and Gabriel. 'I can't do it from my side, and I don't think…' He glanced back at Dean and sighed. 'In his current state, he wouldn't be able to initiate any mental contact.'

Sam sighed as he helped Dean further onto the bed. Within seconds, his brother was asleep. 'So…what happened?'

Gabriel scratched his head as he looked at Dean. 'Short answer? I guess you could say he blew a fuse. Shorted out. Familiars are…surge protectors? At least when you're starting out. After you understand and can control your own power, we provide you access to more power, but _you_ make the initial connection with your own.'

'What about _me_?' Sam asked, gesturing to himself. 'You guys said I have no power, so…can _I_ short out?'

'That would be impossible,' Castiel replied. 'You aren't able to inadvertently perform magic like Dean. There is no power to lose control of.' He looked down at Dean's sleeping form in thought. 'Perhaps he would benefit from a crystal for channeling…'

Gabriel ignored Castiel and gave Sam a lecherous grin. 'Like I said before, there are plenty of ways to get the initial power for the connection…'

Castiel rolled his eyes as Sam coughed and looked away, shifting uncomfortably. 'If you kept one of your batteries on hand, that might provide enough energy to tap into Gabriel's power.'

'Spoil sport,' Gabriel pouted.

'I don't know what that means, but…a kiss may also work,' Castiel replied before transforming into the small, black cat. He hopped onto the nightstand next to Dean's bed and curled up.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel lay in the middle of the floor, writhing and moaning, begging for more. Dean blinked at the scene before him, his hand was raised, reaching out, but something was blocking him from touching Castiel.

'Please, Dean!' Castiel moaned, his voice full of arousal.

Heat pooled in pit of Dean's stomach. He pushed forward, but he still couldn't reach Castiel. 'Cas…'

'Make it stop…'

Dean pulled back sharply. 'C-Cas? What's wrong?'

One moment, Castiel was on the floor, the next, Dean found himself being slammed against a wall. He gasped as Castiel growled into his ear.

'_You_ are!' Castiel hissed before attacking Dean's mouth.

Dean eagerly kissed back, moaning as Castiel ground against him. 'Fuck… Don't stop…'

Just as the words left his mouth, Castiel was gone. A cruel laugh came from across the way, and his eyes landed on Ruby. Just beside her stood Castiel, his expression indifferent and his hand raised. Neither looked at Dean. He frowned, and his eyes drifted down to where the pair were looking.

Sam lay motionless at Castiel's feet, a pool of blood slowly spreading.

Dean bolted upright, gasping for air.


End file.
